Walls & Curtains: The Prodigal Knight
by Tali Kuti
Summary: Part 1:Gray-side FRevan. A look behind the scenes of events that takes place during KOTOR 1. This is a semi-walkthrough, focusing only on critical and random moments. Follow Revan and the Exile through their journey to self discovery and transformation as well as their relationships/affairs with their fellow companions. Drama/Adventure/Humor.Rated M for heavy sexual/graphic content
1. Building the Nest

**AN**: I feel like I have to give a short description since this is my first story. I want to keep the plot as cannon as possible, with the exception of Revan being a female of course (I'm sorry but Bastila and Juhani are just not interesting love interests to me. Carth, Malak and Canderous on the other hand, rawr :) ). Since my main character is female I'm tweaking some things in order to make it fit with the canon version. It's a work in progress but trust me, almost nothing I'm going to write about is played in the game, so you don't have to worry too much about reading the SAME story over and over. This is just my interpretation of what happened behind the scenes of the gameplay and the characters' motives. After replaying it for the 6th time, I got soooo many ideas! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do :)

Disclaimer: I'll say this only once: I do not own the rights to the game, characters, or plot.

* * *

It was a dry windy night on Tatooine. Shop owners were closing down, late-night cantinas were opening, swoop racers were heading indoors for a meal or drink, and scantily clad "business" ladies were heading outdoors for some possible credit transactions. In the unassuming crowd, a tall hooded woman paced towards the dueling ring lodge. She appeared preoccupied with her own thoughts, but walked with the gravity and alertness of a soldier. Her clothes were plain and grey and her cloak left everything to the imagination, completely covering her already loose robe and pants.

She was walking past a cantina when she heard loud cries, gasps, praises and even curses exploding from the inside, making her stop her in her tracks. Temporarily distracted and curious to see what could have possibly caused such a reaction, she made a detour and entered the cantina.

A large crowd was gathered around the holoprojector in the back of the room. She pulled her hood back, revealing an intense auburn pixie cut and striking facial features, while confidently walking towards the crowd. As the bartender saw her approaching, he poured her a glass of the best liquor in stock and extended it to her with a wide grin.

"For our fearless champion, on the house."

She politely accepted the drink and kept walking, not giving the bartender one look. She heard an older woman grunt "Good riddance!"

"No you fool! This can get worse with that psychotic man in charge now" a male voice beside her responded.

She finally found an opening in the crowd and looked ahead at the projector. What she saw made her eyes widen in shock and her grip on her drink loosen, sending the beverage crashing to the floor.

"REVAN, Dark Lord of the Sith and former Republic hero is DEAD" The words were scrolling across the image in front of her. Darth Revan's flagship was crumpling; visible fires and smoke emitting from every corner, blaster shots continuously firing at it until it exploded into a million fragments while a dozen or so shuttles and starships zoomed away from it. The clip replayed over and over while an audio commentary explained the shocking visuals. Darth Malak had finally decided to assume the position of his old master.

"That backstabbing coward…" she muttered in a whisper. She hadn't moved, twitched or even blinked since she set her eyes on the holoprojector. She wasn't sure what to feel. Sad? Angry? Relieved?

_You knew this was coming Rev, you knew this was what the path lead to and you still followed it. It sure doesn't seem like it's worth it to me. It never did._

She opened a mental door she had closed years ago, and allowed some of her old memories out. That wonderful mischievous smile and contagious laugh, that bossy, fiery padawan who commanded attention everywhere she went, but who ironically spent much of her free time reading history books and being the unofficial mechanic of the enclave, that big-hearted young woman who could be so self-sacrificing, and yet so unknowingly tactless at the same time, that powerful and magnetic Jedi, way too intelligent for her age, now dead by the hands of her own apprentice. What a pitiful way to die…

The crowd around her was starting to disperse. She didn't move a muscle.

_And Malak… How long do you expect to live after this, when Revan was always the more revered one? How foolish and heartless could you be? Do the Sith have absolutely no moral code or loyalty? You've known each other since you could hold a damn saber! How could you…_

Who was she kidding? She already knew the answers to those questions. She knew the untimely end of her friends was inevitable, but she never imagined it like this. A tear started to form in her unblinking eye. She finally moved a few muscles, but only to form a frown.

_She had it coming. She was too darn stubborn and inconsiderate for her own good_. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how fitting Revan's death was. The woman had a knack for trampling over everybody's feelings. Every offense was always so unintentional, so careless with her; she was the center of her own universe and couldn't be bothered by anyone's petty emotions. "Get over it"…her favorite sentence. It's almost as if she was strategic and wise with everything in her life but herself. She never thought about how her personal actions affect others negatively, never put herself in someone else's shoes. Maybe never even cared…

_Enough!_ she sternly calmed herself. _You will not waste another moment dwelling on this. She's dead now and it's almost over, there's no need for resentment…ever again._

When she got out of her trance and looked around, she was standing alone in front of the hologram. Everyone was back to their usual business and chatter, now with a new topic to discuss. At her feet was an employee cleaning up the mess she made when she dropped her drink.

"I'm sorry about that" she managed to say, both sincerely and absentmindedly.

She turned around and strode towards the exit before he could even look up to respond.

* * *

"I'm sorry Master, but you'll have to make this decision as soon as possible. She may awake any moment now and once she does we can't perform the procedure. The soldiers we have are also slowly deteriorating. It's been many days now, we lost another one this morning."

"How many are left?"

"Only three females Sir, the other five males are still here as well. And though most of their brains are intact, the only thing keeping them alive is the kolto tank, and who knows for how long. Their bodies…they took so much damage. It's a miracle they still had a heartbeat when the Jedi brought them here. "

The man referred as "Master" turned around and whispered to another shorter figure who wore identical robes as him. They intently exchanged a few words, slowly shaking their heads, then turned back to face the doctor.

"We're going to need a little more information on the injured soldiers. Their age, past, skills, anything helpful…" said the taller man.

"Sure, let me get their files"

The doctor picked up a few documents and hurriedly flipped through the pages. Adjusting his sensory implant, he began reading out loud, walking briskly towards the injured soldiers and stopping in front of each tank to give a short summary of its contents.

"….recruited 3 years ago as a scout, efficient in demolitions, repairs, specialized in sniper rifles, heavy weaponry and tracking. Next we have Leyna Starblazer, age 30, elite soldier, excellent muscle to height ratio, no previous medical records, earned a medal for…"

"So what do you think about the first one?" The Master whispered to his partner.

…_And lastly we have an impressively skilled former smuggl…_

"Seems risky, considering her extensive knowledge of the former enemy, it might trigger something too soon" his companion answered in a low voice.

"Agreed"

The doctor was now standing in front of a dark haired woman "arrested twice and received a pardon for joining the military. She sacrificed herself in order for her team to get to the bridge, and when they came back she was still breathing… and now she's here." He finished with a heavy sigh and stared at the two men, a hopeful but anxious look in his eyes.

"We understand you are pressed for time Doctor. But please, allow us a few more minutes. This is a very delicate matter" the taller man pleaded.

"They all have more than a thing in common with-If we are not careful with our choices, we may ruin or delay this whole mission" his partner said to him as they both turned their backs to the doctor.

"Indeed, they all come with substantial risks and valuable advantages. But one of them has a quality we are both looking for, despite their…._questionable_ past."

The two men looked at each other fixedly, as if exchanging thoughts in their heads. They nodded in agreement and pivoted back to the doctor.

"We've ready to proceed"

"Excellent. I'll alert the operating room and we'll begin right away. Follow me."

* * *

"So far so good Masters, let me know of your progress."

"First memory transfer almost complete Doctor, we're entering the second stage." The two masters were standing, eyes closed, with their hands extended over two unconscious bodies floating in different kolto tanks. The tanks were linked by several cables, some of them directly attached to the heads of the bodies. A bright glow was radiating from the hands of the masters; they appeared to be in deep meditation.

The doctor was monitoring the patients' heart rates and brain waves on a console not too far from the tanks.

"Good, the sooner we get this done the b—oh no…NO! Not now!" The doctor ran to the kolto tank, fretfully analyzing the blinking lights.

"What's going on Doc?" asked one of the Masters, eyes still closed and struggling to not break his concentration.

"We're losing the soldier, there is still some brain activity, but I can no longer detect her heart!"

"We'll have to heal her in the same process then, we have no ch—"

"No…this c-can't be happening" The doctor stuttered with a bewildered look.

"What now?" both Masters asked frantically, now with concerned eyes open.

"The patient is regaining consciousness. We have to stop the procedure. Now!"

"Can't you sedate her for a while longer? We can't leave this unfinished!" the shorter man was starting to lose his focus, his extended hands trembling in effort as the white glow that surrounded them began to diminish.

"If we do that right now we might induce a permanent coma and if we continue we'll be putting her at great risk of severe brain damage. We can't do anything about the soldier, but if we stop now, we may be able to save this one. We—"

"You don't understand, we _can't_ leave her like this. It's too dangerous!"

"_Prolonging_ this is too dangerous Master. I'll need you to stop the transfer before I disconnect them, otherwise she might as well be dead."

The two masters shot nervous looks at each other, reluctant to obey the doctor but knowing full well the gravity of the situation. Still maintaining their composure, they focused one last time and shot waves of energy from their fingertips to the patient's head.

"Stop! I command you to discontinue! This is _my_ facility and I don't want to lose another one, _especially_ since we can save her. This is why I don't like dealing with you Jedi, you NEVER LISTEN!" the doctor was practically yelling now.

"Sorry Doc, we have to take the risk—"

"WE LOST THE SOLDIER! STOP RIGHT NOW OR I'LL HAVE YOU ARRESTED FOR MANSLAUGHTER! I HAVE TO DISCONNECT THEM NOW! I'M BEGGING YOU, PLEASE STOP!"

* * *

AN: I know I know, I ended it so abruptly. But you'll see why in the later chapters. Up next is the Endar Spire


	2. Meeting Trask

**AN**: I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update. My writing has weakened during the years and I'm slowly re-learning how to flow with ease.

* * *

She loved the bustling energy of Coruscant. The stunning architecture of the intimidating skyscrapers, the constant humming of engines running, the bright lights, the gorgeous sunsets…it all felt too familiar to her even though she wasn't from here. Sure she spent many chaotic, _and very entertaining,_ nights in its Undercity, but never in the luxurious buildings of its upper levels like the one she was in now. And yet, it still felt oh so very familiar, like a second home. The open platform she stood on was hundreds of kilometers above the ground, but she didn't feel her usual acrophobia kick in.

_Well that's new. I guess some good changes came out of my stay at that boring hospital,_ she thought.

A light breeze was blowing. She closed her eyes, lazily dropped the small sack that contained her belongings on the ground, stretched out her arms wide and took a deep breath, as if trying to absorb as much of the city's essence as she could before her departure, which was very soon…

The swooshing sound of an airspeeder grew louder as it approached her. She felt it stop right in front of her.

"Miss Trax?" asked a male voice.

"Yes?" She opened one eye and cocked a brow, noticing a very young and good-looking man in the driver seat.

"I'm your ride to the Endar Spire." He was wearing a military uniform, but she could tell he was only a driver, as well as a new recruit.

She grinned slowly "Well then prince charming, whisk me the hell away from here."

Bending down to grab the small sack she had dropped earlier, she took one last look at the amazing view in front of her before stepping in the airspeeder. She then turned to her driver, tilting her head to the side.

"Mind stopping for a drink on our way there? I've just spent the dullest week of my life in that hospital."

* * *

She wasn't too thrilled about going back to work, but the Endar Spire was a new ship, which meant she'd probably get a nicer _and_ bigger room. She looked down at the map the guard at the entrance gave her and tried to locate her room. Her eyes skidded over her hand. On it was the scribbled contact number of the handsome chauffeur who had been lenient enough to make the diversion to a bar and even pay for her drink before dropping her off at her destination. With a satisfied smug, she brought her attention back to the map.

_Yea, I still got it._

She highly doubted she'd ever call him; he was a little too young and unseasoned for her taste. But he was adorable and she couldn't help it. She was a flirtaholic.

The corridors of the dorms were empty. She figured everyone was probably out for lunch or buying equipments and supplies for the trip. She still had no idea where they heading next. Or maybe she just forgot again.

Speaking of forgetting, she's been doing a lot of that lately. Ever since she woke up in that fancy hospital she's been feeling very…_off_, like she was in a whole new body. Her memories seemed mostly fragmented and almost surreal. She was even confused when she looked in the mirror for the first time, thinking she was going crazy for not recognizing her own face. The doctors reassured her that it was a side effect of her head trauma, that she was just a little disoriented and that she'll eventually go back to normal. But still, she didn't like the idea of having memory problems. Almost her entire career as a successful smuggler was based solely on her excellent memory and wits.

_Good thing I'm no longer a smuggler then huh?_ She chuckled to herself.

Her room was finally in view. She pulled out the key from the map and slid the card in the door. She was pleased to find it empty.

_Nice!_ The bunks were wider, and the room looked more modern. It was definitely an upgrade from her cruiser. She dropped her belongings in an empty footlocker across the room then flopped on one of the empty beds near it. Making herself at home, she untied her long curly black hair from the high bun it was tucked in and took her shoes off. She was just beginning to peel off her long sleeve jacket to take a short nap when she heard the door open. She was startled to see a tall blond man walk in.

"Excuse me? Ever heard of knocking? Shouldn't you be in the men's headquarters or something?" she glared at him.

"I'm sorry I-I had no idea someone was in here. And…this _is_ the men's headquarters, as well as my room, which makes me your…" his blinking eyes lowered to her bra and he swallowed hardly "bunk mate."

Seeing where his eyes went, she quickly pulled her jacket back on her shoulders and tugged at the edges to cover her chest.

"Wha-? Keep those eyes up mister!"

"Yes ma'am" he straightened up and diverted his eyes to the ceiling, looking anywhere but in her direction, a slight tint of color appearing on his neck and cheeks.

"I don't get it. Why would they send me to the men's area? The women's dorms can't be all full! I was assigned to this ship 5 days ago. This has to be some—oh never mind" she sighed in frustration, realizing that he wasn't lying to her when she noticed some male possessions in the room. How could she have missed that? After a long pause, she joked "I must have pissed someone off _really_ bad for them to pull this prank on me."

They both laughed a little uncomfortably but felt the part of the tension leave the room.

"Maybe the women's dorms _were_ full, they aren't as large as ours considering the women to men ratio in the military" he reasoned.

She shrugged. "Possibly, but I also know that I'm not very liked around here. Honorable soldiers don't hold much respect for scoundrels like me" she showed off a proud smile.

"A scoundrel you say?" He jested, crossing his arms across his chest and tilting his head, watching the strange woman with a new interest.

"Can't you tell?" she leaned back to the wall, clasping her hands behind her head and crossing her legs, temporarily forgetting about her jacket flinging open. "You might request a bunk mate exchange after a few tormenting days with me" her smile now turned into an impish grin.

He tittered nervously, looking away so that he wouldn't stare at her breasts again "I hardly doubt it. Besides, I'm sure you have way more interesting stories than any other bunkie on this ship. My name is Trask Ulgo by the way."

"Hey, our names sound similar. My name is Trax. Kalima Trax."

"Hmm…That name sounds familiar."

"Hmpf. I doubt someone like you would have heard of someone like me. I only joined the Republic Navy eight months ago."

"There'll be plenty of time to find that out, Taris is approximately 6 days from here. Now…would you mind giving my bed back? Or do I have to bribe you for it?"

* * *

"So then I hop off the stage, kick his bottle away, steal the prize from the table and make a run for it. The owner screams at me '_you cheater! I'm gonna get you back you schutta! I'll skin your business-ruining gizka behind if you come back here!_' Oh man, he was furious!" Kalima finished with a short hand clap.

They both roared with laughter like two teenagers, Trask barely containing himself. Kalima wiped a tear of joy from her eye."Yep, crazy night. I won't be returning to that cantina anytime soon."

"I'm sure you won't" said Trask, still trying to stop laughing. They had spent the last hour after their shifts sitting on their beds, eating their rations and telling each other funny stories. Kalima had had an unpleasant first day working the computers in the med bay and needed some cheering. Why anyone would appoint her there when she had no medical experience whatsoever eluded them both. Apparently she was right when she said scoundrels weren't treated seriously by superiors.

"Reminds me of this one time in Corellia," Trask began, "we were heading out to a party during our seasonal vacation, and this smuggler tried to convince us to take a box with us inside the club."

"Did he succeed?" she gasped.

"Well, we were more curious than cautious really. He didn't know we were officers and we wanted to see if we could land an arrest."

"Pfft what type of smuggler can't detect a government agent? You have soldier written all over your forehead!" she exclaimed.

"Yea well he wasn't a bright one" he chuckled. "Anyways, we asked him how much he would be willing to give us for our…"

He was interrupted by loud voices approaching the door. It sounded like a group of women frantically chattering amongst each other.

"Ooh, I see you're quite the lover boy of the ship. All the ladies are fighting to get to your door" she teased with a snicker.

"Hardly. Let me sort this out" he smiled with a puzzled look on his face as he stood up to open to the door. The voices behind it became clearer.

_-"I swear it's her! I saw her name in the logs. I couldn't believe she was here either!"_

_-"But that doesn't make sense! She was…she was nearly dead when they returned with her! How could she be back so soon?"_

Trask opened the door before the leader of three uniformed women could knock on the door. She was a stout little woman wearing a pilot's vest. She froze in surprise for a few seconds, and then quickly regained her voice. "Umm…we're looking for a...is this Kalima Trax's room?"

"Who's asking?"

"Uh…We were part of the crew that transported Bastila and the strike team to Revan's flagship. We just want to see how she's doing."

His eyebrows shot up in uncertainty. "One second" He closed the door halfway, turned to Kalima and whispered "Seems like you're the star of this vessel. They're here for you."

"Me? What do they want?" she sat up with a perplexed frown.

"Why don't we find out?" he opened the door and allowed the women in.

"Thank you" the leader said. She stepped in with the other two women at her heels and looked around the room. She froze once more when her eyes landed on Kalima, her facial expression a mixture of skepticism and bewilderment.

"You…you're not Kalima" she murmured.


	3. Reality Check

"You…you're not Kalima" she murmured in what sounded like disappointment.

"Why, thank you for trying to dictate my identity but I've had enough bullying for today." Kalima stated with a straight face, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Making jokes? Who are you? And why are you posing as Kalima Trax?" the leader pressed.

Kalima blinked twice. "Excuse me? I _AM_ Kalima Trax! How dare you accuse of me being an imposter? Do you have any idea what I've been through this past week?" she was flabbergasted by the woman's remark.

"Prove it! Imposter" the woman scowled at her.

"You can't be serious! This is ridiculous I have nothing to prove to you! I don't even know who you are!" Before she knew it, she was standing up with clenched fists.

"I'm someone who was on the Embarker when you were supposedly blown up and knocked out of your mind."

Kalima halted at the sound of that name. She opened and closed her mouth without saying anything.

"Okay" she finally said, turning around and fishing through her belongings. She pulled out a card and stuck it front of the woman's face. "Here! My official tag. Is this proof enough for you? Or do you also think this little scoundrel forged a fake military ID?"

The woman frowned as she examined the card, "No…no this would be enough."

"Good. Now what do you want?" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

"I…I don't…" the woman stepped back, confusion in her face growing by the minute "I don't understand. You were on the Embarker? You're the slicer who sacrificed herself helping the Jedi get through security on Revan's ship?"

"You _what_?" exclaimed Trask.

"Affirmative" Kalima replied, her chin up, eyes never leaving her accuser. "And I'm still trying to figure out why you're here questioning my authenticity. Last I checked, I don't answer to pil—hey! Wait a minute, I remember you... You were the head pilot on the Embarker! It was your idea to board Revan's flagship from the rear instead of the side ramp" she narrowed her eyes as she scrutinized the woman.

The stout leader turned pale, "How do you know that?"

Kalima rolled her eyes "I already _told_ you, I was THERE!"

"But I don't recognize you!" she shouted "I saw Kalima when the Jedi brought her back. We all heard of her amazing selfless act. She…she was badly disfigured, and _barely_ alive. But she still didn't look like…I just don't remember you!" she took another step back, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Well I can't help you there can I? Now _I_ on the other hand, remember you. You were Leora's bunk mate on the Veltraa Five when I was on board" she stated matter-of-factly.

The three women painfully looked at each other, their eyes suddenly filled with panic and sorrow. One of the women who appeared to be the youngest of the trio spoke up. "Leora is…dead. She was on one of the shuttles that were shot down by Malak's ship."

"Oh…" Kalima moaned, her voice and face softening. Leora was one of the very few females that would talk to her when she first joined…a very good-spirited and lovely woman. "I'm sorry I…I had no idea." She sat back in the bed, massaging her forehead with the tips of her fingers.

The room was quiet for a long time. The third woman, who hadn't uttered a word since they stepped in, walked up to the pilot and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Maybe this is all a misunderstanding" she said, "it was a hectic situation and you were too busy maneuvering the ship, you might have confused her with someone else, or maybe your memory is failing you this time. Or…_maybe_ there was another slicer on board with the same name."

"Oh yea? What are the odds of _that_?" the pilot shot back.

Kalima grunted something under her breath, her head still bowed down.

"I'm just naming the possibilities" her friend said apologetically. "Either way, no one else on this ship knows her in person to prove she's _not_ Kalima. Besides, there's no reason for this woman to lie about her identity. She was obviously on the Embarker, she has identification papers, and…she knew Leora."

The pilot wasn't too convinced. She glanced back at Kalima menacingly, not wanting to give in to her friend's comment, but she realized she had no more leverage. "I guess you're right" she sighed. "I guess I just didn't expect her to look so…intact." She leered at Kalima with inquiring eyes, as if waiting for her to reveal some huge secret. When Kalima didn't budge, she took a deep breath and one step closer. "Look, I want to apologize for the way I acted. I'm not one to claim who you are, I never knew Kalima personally. I just…_swore_ I saw her on the Embarker, and I always wanted to know what happened to her. And if you really _are_ her, then you have all my respect. Risking your life to help a group of strangers is a rare deed. The mission would have absolutely failed if it weren't for you. Hell, it wouldn't have even started without your skills."

"Thanks, I guess" Kalima said faintly. "I really didn't think twice about it, it just had to be done" She lifted her head up to stare at the pilot dead in the eyes.

The woman nodded and turned to her friends "I guess we're done here." They swiftly walked to the door. She looked back one last time and said "I'm really sorry." The apology sounded more sincere than the first one.

"Don't worry about it" Kalima waved.

The door closed.

"Well that was weird" Trask declared.

"Tell me about it." She was still staring at the place where the woman had stood with unblinking eyes.

"Are you alright?" he sounded concerned.

She shook her head "Yea I'm just…still wondering what the hell just happened."

"I know. I'm not too sure what that was about either. But I was right, your name did sound familiar. You never told me you accompanied the Jedi strike team." His eyes narrowed, but he didn't look suspicious.

"It's really not something I like to brag about. I was just doing my job: sneaking past guards, slicing computers, and unlocking doors, clearing the way for the Jedi to get through faster."

"So what was that she said about you sacrificing yourself?"

She huffed and shook her head. "We were about to enter the bridge. We were split up into two groups, Bastila and her Jedi were fighting off some guards across the corridor while I was trying to get the bridge door open, my Sergeant and another soldier were covering me. Once I succeeded, our group alerted Bastila and she came right away. There were more Sith guards and troopers behind the door, but nothing those Jedi couldn't handle. Me and my team waited by the entrance…"

* * *

"_You don't have to wait here with me. I can take care of myself. Go help Bastila!" _

"_What if more Sith show up?" one of the soldiers asked._

"_They shouldn't be in there for too long, Revan should be at the end of that bridge and they're going to need help. Just GO!" she wanted to get everything over with as soon as possible._

_The soldier hesitated, and then ran towards Bastila's direction, shooting at every Sith he could aim at._

"_If you think you can get me to leave, think again Private" the Sergeant stated._

"_Fine, stay. I might need an extra blaster if some guards pop up." Kalima said still tapping hastily on the security panel. "This security is crazy! The passcodes change every 6 minutes, Revan must be some paranoid asshole. Seems like they'll be able to open it from the inside if anything happens to us but-" _

_Before she could say anything else, she heard the discharge of her Sergeant's heavy repeating blaster. She turned around and saw ten, no twelve, no…twenty Sith troopers coming from the other end of the long, wide corridor._

"_Shit!" she pulled out her sniper and began aiming at the closest targets. Her heart was beating through her ears._

_They were holding their own for a while, ducking and dodging shots, receiving only a few burns in nonfatal areas. The sergeant appeared fearless, his contorted face completely focused on the troopers ahead. He was obviously more used to this than her. She was surprised she wasn't missing her targets as much as her hands were shaking. Blood was trickling down into her eye and she didn't even want to know where it was coming from. She was still alive, and the adrenaline numbed her. But more Sith kept coming, and coming, and coming…_

"_Arghhhh!" The Sergeant was hit in the knee, torn fabric and charred flesh peeling off to show white bone. He leaned on the entrance and kept blasting away._

"_There are too many of them. Get in there with the rest of the crew!" she yelled over the sound of the noisy blasters._

"_Are you crazy? What about you?"_

"_I have an idea" she explained, still looking through her sniper._

"_This is suicidal! I'm not letting you deal with all these bastards alone."_

"_I'm just a scoundrel Sergeant, you're more valuable alive. Someone needs to stay out here to seal the door before these sons of kath hounds make it to the bridge."_

"_I'm NOT taking orders from you Private, and I don't leave anyone behind."_

_She saw no other choice. She dropped her sniper and shoved the Sergeant inside with both hands, making him stumble backwards over a dead Sith body a Jedi had decapitated. She quickly punched a code in the security panel, her blood now dripping on its surface. The Sergeant was struggling to stand back up._

"_YOU IDIOT! DON'T DO THI-"_

_The door slammed shut. She turned around and saw the troopers still running in her direction. They were only a few rooms away now. She could feel her heart in her throat, obstructing her respiration. Her thoughts went wild. With a cry of desperation, she pulled out two plasma grenades with quivering hands, activated them and clumsily hurled them at the enemy, knowing full well that they weren't far enough for her not to feel their impact. The first grenade went off, incinerating everything in sight at the end of the corridor, from the ceiling to all four walls. She heard horrifying screams as dozens of men burned alive. Then the second grenade went off, and it was way too close…_

_She watched as the flames usurped the remaining men that were approaching her, traveling fast through the corridor and showing no signs of slowing down. It felt like an oven. She was drenched in her sweat and blood and the heat was so intense it was scorching her skin. The massive blazing cloud intensified with every flesh it burned and she could smell it. She could smell death. The flames were only a few meters from her now. She dropped to the floor, covered her head with her arms, and waited for the inevitable doom to reach her, silently hoping it wouldn't…_

* * *

"And that's the last thing I remember before waking up in Coruscant" she finished.

Trask was gaping at her. "You _are_ crazy."

"Yea…I've heard that one many times before."

"Well, you look pretty good for someone who's been in close proximity to a plasma grenade less than 2 weeks ago." He analyzed her body for the first time, trying to find signs of injuries. She had two scars on her exquisite brown face, a small one above her right eyebrow and a long jagged one running from the top of her left temple to her cheeks, stopping right at the base of her cheekbones. He noticed a few minor burns on her right forearm, but nothing extreme.

"That's the thing. The doctors said I didn't really receive any major burns, just a skull fracture and some severe head trauma." She distractedly touched her head, gazing at nothing in particular.

"_Just_? That's enough to kill some of the strongest soldiers. I don't know what to say, that's a very heroic thing you did back there. I'm not sure what I would've done in your position. I just want to know…what made you do it?" his eyes were piercing her, pleading for an unambiguous answer.

She didn't expect that question. "I…I don't know I wasn't really thinking, just acting" she paused, her eyes shifting from side to side. "I didn't exactly have any _time_ to think. I had to make a decision and my body responded before my mind could. In fact, had I thought too much about it, I probably wouldn't have done it. But I don't have any regrets."

Trask kept staring at her, drowning in those dark, mysterious eyes. He nodded slowly, a look of profound understanding on his face. He couldn't help but admire the beautiful woman sitting in front of him, and he wondered if he could ever be as selfless as her. They were very different. She lived life on the edge and from day to day. He on the other hand had a family back home, and always thought of the future...

He finally rose up. "Our next shift starts in 2 hours. I'm going to get some caffa before we both fall asleep. How do you like yours?"

She smiled and looked up at him "Spiked with Corellian brandy."

He threw his head back in laughter "For some reason I doubt you're kidding. Listen, I have a small flask of Reserve but only a few drops ok? I don't want you drunk on the job."

She giggled while lowering herself down on the bed, "Fine fine! Just get me the drink will ya?"

"I'm on it your preciousness. I'll be back soon, try to not assault anyone's face with your fists while I'm gone" he joked.

"Mm hmm" she was barely listening to him now. She was gazing at the ceiling and couldn't stop thinking about what the pilot had said.

_"I don't recognize you…She was badly disfigured, and barely alive. But she still didn't look like…you"_

Is that why she felt so foreign in her own skin when she looked in the mirror? Did the doctors give her a face transplant maybe? And if they did, why would they lie to her and tell her she was only disoriented from the trauma? And why doesn't she remember her "old" face, if she even had one? If she didn't receive a transplant, how come her face wasn't covered in burns? What about her body? She heard of Jedi healing, but didn't know the full extent of their capabilities. And just why were those strange men giving her personality tests after she woke up? Did they know something about her that she didn't? Why does she sometimes get massive migraines whenever she tries to draw up some memories? Nothing made sense at that moment, and her head started to hurt again. She decided she'd take a short nap before Trask comes back with the caffa.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Ok when I first started writing this I couldn't care less about reviews. But the more I'm getting into it the more I'm interested in your views. I think I'll especially need help with small details like names of weapons, aircrafts, technology, etc in the coming chapters. So if you notice any inaccuracies, please let me know. This is a learning experience for me as well. I want to thank all my readers so far even if you don't comment :) Seeing those stats motivate me to keep going.


	4. From One Hell To Another

Kalima couldn't believe her luck. She had just survived a traumatizing, life-threatening situation, spent a week at a hospital so boring she almost contemplated suicide, suffered from memory loss and other strange side effects that only complicated her already complex identity issues, shared a room with a very manly, attractive married man she had to restrain herself from, tolerated belittling from other soldiers who didn't find her worthy enough for the Navy, worked undesirable shifts, and was now in the middle of yet _another_ Sith attack, all this in the course of only 3 weeks! She was already starting to regret joining the military. But most of all, she was _really_ getting fed up with the Sith.

Trask was running ahead of her, something she didn't particularly feel comfortable with because she couldn't see past his tall frame and didn't like feeling lost or helpless. She had her blaster out and ready but he barely needed her assistance. He was an outstanding shooter. He only stopped when they reached the bridge and turned around to check on her.

"The bridge is right behind that door. Close combat will be our safest bet if we're going to meet more Sith, it's suicide to use a blaster in close quarters. You're any good with melee weapons? "

"Uhhh…I have a vibroblade?" she looked uncertain.

"That's not what I asked."

"I don't have any formal training but I can handle myself."

"Listen," he placed a hand on her shoulder "I just want to let you know that I'll protect you as much as I can. You don't have to do anything crazy, just try to make it out of here alive. Do you understand?" his eyes were full of worry, almost imploring her.

She knew what he meant, and was touched by his concern. She nodded silently, feeling her eyes starting to burn. She didn't want to think of him dying to protect her, but she knew if the possibility presented itself, he wouldn't hesitate to do so. And she was determined to not let that happen.

She unsheathed her vibrosword and held it in front of her with both hands and utter resolve. He gave her a sad frown "Are you sure? If you want you can stay behind and use a blaster" he suggested.

She shook her head "No. I'm going in there with you."

He let out a heavy sigh "I guess I can't stop you. Just remember what I said okay?"

"Let's hope Bastila's in there. We could use some Jedi help right now" she ignored him.

He punched the panel by the door and it slid open. There were two Sith soldiers right in front of them and four unidentifiable figures in the distance. She leaped at the closest one to her, swinging the blade with all her might. The soldier blocked her attack with his sword and pushed against her, shoving her away from him. She fell backwards, and before she knew it she was doing a perfect backward roll and landed and both feet.

_When the hell did I learn how to do that? _

The soldier launched himself at her in a power attack. She held her blade horizontally, countering him at the last second. He then began swishing his sword in a series of flurries. Kalima started to panic, not even sure how she was blocking his all attacks. Something in her snapped. She was beginning to be aware of reflexes and muscle memory she never knew or thought she had. Her body was moving with effortless agility and outwitting every move from the Sith soldier.

_What's happening to me?_

She finally saw an opening and went for it. She lowered her body to dodge a deadly blow and slashed the man right under the ribs in one smooth move. He dropped immediately, his side wide open and bleeding. She stared at her victim with her jaw dropped, stunned at what she had just done. He was still breathing, but she didn't need to do any more; he'll be dead in a few minutes. She looked up and saw Trask still dueling with the second soldier. She rushed towards the Sith and sank her weapon in his back before he could even detect her behind him. She pulled the vibroblade out as he slumped to the floor.

"No former training huh?" Trask cocked an eyebrow.

"Don't ask! I don't even know how I'm doing this." She was pulling her blaster back out to aim at another Sith fighting a Republic soldier by the bridge's controls. She was just about to pull the trigger when an explosion shook the entire ship, making her stumble forward and catching herself on a desk. The explosion killed everyone near the controls.

"We can't stay here! Bastila must have retreated to the escape pods and since the Sith want her alive, there's nothing stopping them from blasting us into galactic dust once she leaves" he breathed out.

"Then let's hurry!" she was in the lead now, running past more explosions and electrical shorts. They left the bridge through the second exit and headed to the Starboard Section. She was about to hit the door's panel when another door slid open at the very end of the room on their right. They both spun around and spotted a dark Jedi. Something about him looked very familiar to Kalima...

"_He's our most promising student, and will make an excellent Sith if he passes the tests."_

"_Indeed…so much hatred, so much cruelty. But I still don't find him apprentice material."_

Her head was spinning after the brief vision. She felt herself taking a few steps back and bumping into Trask. What was that about? Her life was in danger and her mind decides to play tricks on her _now_? She heard Trask yell,

"Damn another dark Jedi! I'll try to hold him off, you get to the escape pods. Go!"

When it finally dawned on her what he was about to do, she went berserk. "Don't you even think about it Ulgo!"

"He's a Jedi Kalima, there's no point of us both dying when one of us can make it."

His words sent chills of fear up her spine and she desperately grabbed his elbow as he was about to charge at the man "Trask no! Not for me, I'm not worth it" tears welled up in her eyes. _You have a family at home for Force's sake!_

He turned and softly caressed her cheek, touching her scar "You're worth every bit of it."

He was about to run back to the Jedi when she pleaded with him again, full blown tears running down her face now "Trask…please!"

"You already sacrificed yourself once to save others. Let someone else save you now." And with that, he set off. The dark Jedi was already by the room's entrance, so Trask pounced at the panel by the door and slammed it shut, leaving a horrified and sobbing Kalima behind.

"NOOOO!" she ran to the door and looked for a way in, but there was no way to open it from the outside. She could hear the clanging of sword and saber on the other side and wished she could shoot a blaster bolt right between that Jedi's eyes. Cursing to herself, she reeled back and ran towards the escape pods. She couldn't bear to hear him fall.

* * *

As soon as the door opened, she fell on her hands and threw up. She had overloaded the power conduit in the room behind her which had electrocuted all the Sith soldiers in it, and as much as she enjoyed taking her anger out on them, she couldn't stomach the smell of freshly burnt human flesh. It gave her too many bad memories.

"Are you okay?"

She looked up and saw a brown haired man wearing a nauseating orange jacket. Or maybe it was just nauseating to her because she still had the taste of vomit in her mouth. _Onasi, the man on the communicator_, she remembered. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve, disgusted with herself. _Way to go for a good first impression Kalima._

"Yea I'm fine, where's everybody?"

"We're the last two crew members. You made it just in time, there's only one active escape pod left and Bastila is already gone. There's no reason for us to stick around." He explained hurriedly.

Kalima flinched as she remembered Trask. Even if he would've made it, there wouldn't have been any rides left for him. She suddenly felt very depressed, and weak from emptying all the contents of her stomach a few seconds ago. The ship violently shook again, tipping them both off balance. She feebly looked up at the man, feeling like she was about to pass out.

"Can you... please help me up? I don't want to waste a second longer in this hellhole."

* * *

They crashed right on the edge of an Upper City street. Had it landed a meter off, they would have been swirling down into the depths of the Undercity. Carth Onasi cursed as the already unconscious Kalika bumped her head on the dashboard when the pod came to a stop. He opened the doors and slowly pulled her out with him. The street was empty except for one patrolling protocol droid. It had to be well after bed time and Carth was glad there were no witnesses. He gently lowered Kalima to the ground and ran to the protocol droid.

"Where can I find a place to stay tonight?"

* * *

Kalima screamed when she saw her reflection in the refresher's mirror.

"What the hell is _that_?" she pointed incredulously at her forehead as she stormed out to face Carth.

"I told you you bumped your head when we landed. Don't fret over it too much, it'll be gone in no time."

"I look like a horned kath hound!" she yelled throwing her hands in the air.

Carth stifled a laugh at her comparison and reaction. She had a huge lump right in the middle of her head.

"Oh so you think this is funny" she glared at him placing her hands on her hips.

"No, it's not like that. It's just that I don't think a small bump is enough to make you look unattractive, or _anything_ like a kath hound."

"_Small_ bump? I could pass for an alien right now! And I—Are you flirting with me Carth?" she halted when she realized what he said.

"Uh, no! Not at all," he rubbed the back of his reddening neck "just stating the obvious. You're not exactly umm…the average woman."

She gazed at him for a few seconds, amused at his discomfort, then burst out laughing. "Flattery will get you everywhere mister. But it's not really my looks I'm worried about. I can't afford another head injury right now. I'm already mentally unstable as is." She walked back in the refresher to wash her face.

"I can't see why you would say that. A mentally unstable person couldn't have maneuvered around an ambushed cruiser like you did" he asserted.

"Oh you'll see why" she said in closing while drying her face. She didn't feel like getting into that conversation right now. Looking at her head bump in the mirror, she said "So what species should I go as? I think I'll be a Cerean for today."

Carth chortled loudly "That's quite a sense of humor you have there. Speaking of aliens, I saw on your service records that you understand a number of alien languages. That's pretty rare for a raw recruit, but it should come in handy-"

"You went through my files? Don't you need permission to do something like that?" she interrogated.

"Well, I'm sorry for prying but I _was_ advisor of the ship. To be honest with you, I looked you up after overhearing a couple of officers talking about you" he admitted.

"Of course you did. I can't believe this! I don't bother anyone yet everyone has something negative to say about me" she sighed in frustration.

"Actually, what caught my attention was what they said about your mission with the Jedi strike team. I gotta say, your resume is pretty impressive. They _were_ however, skeptical of whether it was really you on board."

"Hfff, yea" she rolled her eyes "I know." She paused to think for a while. "What else did you find out about me?"

"Well," he cleared his throat "other than the usual skills and feat stats nothing much. I did notice something strange though. Changes were made in your files a few days after your last mission, but there were no indications of who made them or what was edited. It's as if whoever updated them didn't want anyone to know about the changes in your stats, but the computers always record dates when files are accessed. That's the only reason I even know about it. I also find it strange that Bastila would request a special transfer for you while you were still being hospitalized. From what I heard you were pretty badly injured, it's almost inhumane for her to want you back on board so soon."

She looked mystified, trying to make sense of the information she was presented with. "Why would Bastlia request a special transfer? We barely know each other. I wasn't even in her group on the strike team." She stroked her chin and started pacing around.

"I have no idea, maybe you can ask her when we find her." He looked a little more sympathetic when he realized she was just as clueless as he was.

Kalima was still stroking her chin in deep thought. "You said we used the last escape pod to get here, that means there are more of us on Taris right? Maybe we should also look for the other survivors." Her mind briefly flashed to Trask's warm face. She quickly shook her thoughts away, knowing she would burst into tears if she kept thinking about him. And she didn't want to cry, at least not in front of Carth. The last thing she needed right now was exhausting herself with narrating a depressing story.

"I think it's best if we focus our efforts on finding Bastila first. Malak's men are going to be after her, not us. Besides if there are any other survivors, she'll be able to find them faster than we ever can with her Jedi powers. The way I see it, we need each other's help" he explained.

What he said made sense to her. She stopped pacing and gave him an impressed nod then continued "Alright chief. Let's get going. How many credits do we have?"

He stood up and straightened his jacket "200 credits more or less. We'll need more if we're going to buy equipment."

"Ah…" she flashed him a wide grin "leave that up to me. I heard Taris is a goldmine full of marks just waiting for the right scoundrel to…HEY!" she patted her breast pocket, and then briskly frisked herself.

"Where is my pazaak deck?" she cried with her eyes wide.

Carth shifted uneasily "I ummm…I sold it."

"You did WHAT?"

"Someone offered 100 credits for it. I used the money to buy medical supplies and food. I didn't think you'd need it...I'm sorry" he lowered his eyes to the floor, genuinely remorseful.

She exhaled and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. "So let me get this straight. You picked the shittiest abandoned apartment in Upper Taris, left me without professional medical care for 2 days, changed my clothes in my sleep, _and_ got rid of our most reliable cash cow?"

"Cash cow?" his eyebrows shot up.

"Yes, as in gambling? Where have you been living all your life? That deck is one of the best in the galaxy! I'm unbeatable with that thing!"

"Okay okay woman! I'm sorry!" he raised in his hands in surrender "I'm no pazaak player, I had no idea."

She let out a heavy sigh, placed her hands on her hips and slowly shook her head at him.

"You're lucky you're cute, or I would have punched your face in."

"Ha! Are you flirting with me now beautiful?" he said feeling a little relieved that she wasn't yelling any more.

"No." She walked past him and picked up her backpack. "I'm just a true aesthete. Now let's go."

* * *

**AN**: Whoo! Finally done with the Endar Spire. I know the story seems to be moving a little slow but I promise things will speed up. Taris shouldn't take more than 3 chapters even though it's my favorite board. I'm going to be busy this weekend so no telling when my next update will be. Probably Monday *crossing fingers* Thank you all for reading and following my story!


	5. Party Time

**Author's Note**: Sorry for not updating on Monday. The chapters are getting longer and I underestimated how long it would take to write them. Anyways I finally decided what Kalima would look like. I gave her curly hair because I noticed there were no curly haired females in KOTOR. What's with the curlism Lucas? Hahaha I'm just kidding. But yea there's a steamy scene ahead. My next chapter is also long so I probably won't have anything up till Friday. Who knows! I want to thank my subscribers, you guys are awesome! Peace

* * *

"My dear Zelka!" Kalima boomed as she entered the medical center "you don't happen to have a concoction of truth serum and sedatives do you?" she charmingly asked as she leaned over the counter and feigned innocence.

The doctor seemed baffled by her question and blinked a couple of times before responding, "I'm not even going to ask what you plan on doing with such a thing, but the answer is no, you can't mix truth serum with sedatives, they'll cancel each other. I can, however, sell them to you separately and you may use them 10 minutes apart. The truth serum first of course. "

"Hmmm," she pressed an index finger on the corner of her lips and contemplated. "That'll work!"

Carth watched her from the doorway as she slapped some credits in the doctor's hands and returned with two vials…and a mischievous smile on her face. _Why didn't she get that ridiculous lump on her head treated yet?_

"I don't know what you're up to this time, but I already don't like it" he said disapprovingly. He was beginning to believe she really did have instability issues. She had already caused some considerable trouble at the cantina by punching a con-man in the face for trying to trick her out of her credits, splashing a drink in a rude noble's face who later called her goons on them, and riskily accepting a Sith party invitation. She then publicly cursed out a street preacher and tried to lie her way into the Lower City elevator, raising suspicion in the already cynical Sith guarding it. And now she was buying narcotics for Force knows what.

"Relax my fellow soldier, it's not for you" she purred as she strolled past him, ignoring his evil looks.

Carth followed her and caught up to her pace "Look, I'm not trying to tyrannize you, but you should really consider not drawing so much attention to yourself. To _us_! I'm not saying you don't know what you're doing but this has 'bad idea' written all over it."

"Oh c'mon Carth you should know me by now. I already have everything planned out." She said smugly.

He stopped in his tracks and stared at her dubiously. "You're a scary woman."

She turned around, then suggestively walked up to him and poked a finger in his chest. "Oh but you like it…" she gave a seductive smile and slowly walked two fingers up his chest until they reached his neck. She got so close he felt her warm breath on his skin, and she could see the hairs on the side of his neck stand up. _This is too easy_...she thought. It was always fun making Carth uncomfortable.

"Force help me…" he muttered hopelessly, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"Is that supposed to be an admission?" she gasped amusingly, now stroking his chest softly.

He firmly grabbed her hand and moved it away, regaining his composure. "No, it just means you're the most darn frustrating woman I ever met. I don't know how to deal with you Kalima. We're supposed to be working together to find Bastila, but here you go always making decisions for us and putting us in risky situations. Are you forgetting that we're supposed to keep a low profile? I'm starting to think you really _want_ us caught by the Sith after all!"

Kalima dropped her hands and took a step back, looking highly offended. "Now listen here pilot, if you imply that I'm in some sort of alliance with the Sith _one_ more time I swear-"

"I'm not implying that you're with the Sith!" he interjected.

"Oh yea? Because you didn't just try to blame me for the Spire's attack a while ago?" she snapped furiously as she stiffened her stance. She couldn't believe his nerve for insinuating she might have had something to do with the attack when _he_ was the one who was comfortably situated by the escape pods while she was fighting her way to safety.

"I didn't blame you for the attack either! I only said I'll be watching you because I don't like _surprises_, and that's what I'm doing right now!" he raised his voice as well as a shaking fist.

Kalima slapped her forehead. She's been trying hard not to lose her patience with Carth, who's been using every chance he could to remind her of his unwarranted suspicions. He was way too moody for his own good, and she didn't blame him too much because he just lost his family. However she was the one who always had to be the bigger person of them two and it was getting tiring.

"Look Carth, I understand you're emotional right now and don't want to trust an ex-smuggler turned patriot like me, but there's no need to take your frustrations out on me. I mean, I don't take mines out on you do I? Do you even think about what _I_ could be going through?"

"Uhh…I-"

"I only put up a front and adopt this lighthearted attitude to make my time on this backwater planet more bearable…and also to take my mind off some things. But deep down inside, I'm just as distressed and confused as you. Now if I can manage to pull myself together I'm sure you can do the same?" It wasn't a question.

He look surprised, an air of embarrassment settling over him. He cleared his throat then started "First of all, I'm not emotional. But you're right, I'm sorry for how I've been acting. You've more than proved yourself since the crash and you're old enough to know what you're doing. I'm just not too comfortable with you excluding me from your plans. We're in this together remember?"

Sighing heavily, she realized he was right and that she was acting a little too nonchalantly. "Ok fine here's the deal, I plan on drugging those Sith at the party we're going tonight-"

Carth's eyes were widening in astonishment, he was about to open his mouth to say something.

"Before you disagree," she continued with a raised hand "I'm only doing this because it's the only way we can get some Sith uniforms to get to the Lower City, we've already wasted 2 days up here. I also want to get as much information on their operation in Taris as possible. If you can think of a better idea to get past that elevator, feel free to take the lead."

"I…I can't" he painfully admitted. She was clearly ten steps ahead of him.

* * *

They both headed back to the cantina where Kalima bought two bottles of Tarisian ale and stashed them in her backpack. She was starting to run low on credits, so she decided to try her luck at pazaak with the basic deck she bought from a retired player.

"Blast it!" she cursed at the cards "I can't believe I lost again! This wouldn't be happening if _someone_ didn't sell my deck" she cast a dirty sideways look at Carth who was blushing in embarrassment.

"If this continues, I'm gonna have to dance for money" she shook her head pessimistically.

Carth couldn't help but feel guilty. She looked like the type that could easily rake a pile of credits from the players, but she was unequipped and vulnerable. He sat next to her and attempted to comfort her. "Look, since this is entirely my fault, I could go to the dueling ring and see how much I can come up with. Okay?"

"Get me a drink first please" she huffed as she held her head in a hand. She started thinking about what he said when her mind suddenly flashed.

_What's wrong with you? You're the dueling master!_

Kalima lifted her head sharply at the strange thought that didn't seem hers. She then remembered how she defeated the Sith soldier on the Endar Spire, how she could read and predict all his moves, how tactical and swift she was, how it felt almost second nature to her… Maybe if she engages in more melee combat, her mysterious skills will resurface. After all, she did fight a trained soldier.

"On second thought," she said standing up "I think I'll go dueling instead!"

* * *

Carth watched Kalima fight with a heavy heart. If anything happened to her, it'll all be his fault again for bringing up dueling. He had insisted that she let him handle it but she wouldn't budge. _Stubborn woman_, he thought. _Even more stubborn than Morgana. Out of all the survivors of the attack I get the most hard-headed one_. He still couldn't help his suspicions of the amazingly independent woman. He pondered the events that took place in the last few days over and over in his head. Why was she here? What is Bastila's agenda for her? Why were her records changed after her catastrophe? Could it have been the Jedi's doings?

By the time he brought his attention back to the fight, the announcer was already roaring:

"It's over! The fight is over! The Mysterious Stranger has won!"

He didn't know how she did it, but she had already defeated three duelists, and it didn't look like she even broke a sweat. Well, the first duel wasn't really a challenge, but still…

She was now talking to the Hutt and counting the credit chips he gave her. Next he saw her taunting two of the duelists she defeated, blatantly rubbing her victory in their faces. Carth laughed out loud at her spunk, _she's really something else_. He saw Kalima look around, searching for him in the crowd. When she spotted him she flashed an excited grin and walked to him. Well, at least she wasn't angry at him anymore.

"Thank you for the idea Carth. Look, 600 credits! You're not getting a share this time though, your punishment for selling my deck." She opened her jacket and stuffed the chips in a hidden breast pocket.

He smiled warmly at her and nodded "Fine enough." _Damn she's gorgeous_, he said to himself, even with that ludicrous bump on her forehead. She wasn't a conventional beauty, but she was nothing short of exotic, exquisite and downright striking. It was the first time he really _looked_ at a woman since the death of his wife, and though they had some similarities in their personalities, they looked completely different. Kalima had dark bronze skin and sharp features that both made her appear years younger than she actually was. The scars only accentuated her already intriguing look. Her ink black hair was a big, mid-back mass of ringlet curls that she often had to braid or tie in a bun to keep away from her face. She had a strong but feminine jawline and full sensual lips. And that body…she was fit and subtly muscular but plump in all the places that mattered.

She glanced at the chronometer on her wrist and exhaled "We still have some time to kill before the party. Wanna do anything else?"

"Um…" Carth collected himself and stared back at her face. "We could get some new equipment and gear, and then maybe rest for a while. It's been a long day."

"Agreed, I could use some sleep after all this sparring. But first I'm going to stop by Zelka's for some healing, and get this stupid lump removed. I think I've had enough fun with it already."

Carth laughed as he remembered her flirting with the Sith at the cantina. The confused man couldn't take his eyes off her forehead but tried not to look rude at the same time. Their exchange looked comical even though he didn't approve of her tactics.

"About time" he said.

* * *

Kalima was just sealing back the two bottles she had spiked with truth serum and a sedative when Carth emerged from the refresher fully dressed.

"I'm ready" he declared.

She looked up at him. "You look good" she smiled approvingly.

"Thanks beautiful, I try" he shrugged casually. The tension between them had drastically decreased since the dueling ring, and so did the hostilities.

"Alright then, let's get going. We still need to locate the apartment."

They enjoyed their stroll in the beautiful night scenery of Taris before reaching the North apartments and bracing themselves.

"Ok Carth," she turned to face him and hand him the bottles before approaching the door "you get to be my boyfriend for the night. So unless you want that Sith soldier all over me, put whatever ill feelings you have for me to the side and act like it!"

"Ha! That would hardly be a problem missy" he scoffed.

"It better not. Now, shall we?" she planted a starlet grin on her face and wrapped her hands around his elbow, motioning him to lead to way. Yun Genda greeted her as they appeared at the doorway.

"Hey you made it! I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show. The party is in full swing, come on in. I see you brought a friend" his face showed a glimpse of disappointment at his last sentence.

"Yes, this is my charming pal Carth. I met him when I first came to Taris a week ago. He was the friend I was referring to when I mentioned bringing someone. So what is there to drink? I can't wait to unwind!" she chimed.

"You have to try this Tarisian ale - it's fantastic! We should have conquered this planet ages ago!" he boasted as he poured her a cup.

"What a coincidence, I just happened to grab a couple bottles right before coming!" she pointed at Carth. "I guess our gift is a little useless now isn't it?" she set her bait with a pout and disappointed tone.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Yun exclaimed "Nothing from you could possibly be useless. Here we'll just open your bottles next. This one is already done." He fell right into her trap.

"Perfect!" she chirped as she turned to grab the bottle with the truth serum from Carth. "Let's open this one first, it's older!"

"Astral!" Yun seemed overjoyed. Kalima thought he must really love Tarisian ale.

After pouring a round of drinks for everyone, Yun introduced them to the rest of the party while handing each person a cup of Kalima's drugged ale. Carth tried to hide his amazement. He couldn't believe how easily the scheme was falling in place, and wondered if she had planned this all in her head. Kalima behaved like the perfect guest – charming, entertaining, and jovial. When the small talk and introductions were over, she turned to the whole room and asked:

"Why don't we spice things up in here? Who's up for a card game?" She looked around the room waiting for a victim she could rope in.

"What card game do you have in mind?" one of the women asked.

Kalima shrugged. "Any game that'll allow us to chat and get to know each other better" she answered, setting up another bait. She had to make them believe they were making the decisions for themselves.

"The only card game I know how to play is pazaak" said a male voice.

"Pazaak it is then!" Yun announced with his arms outstretched. He was clearly already drunk.

Kalima saw another perfect opportunity. "Nar Shadaa rules!" she called out.

The room cheered and whistled in approval, with the exception of Carth of course.

"What are you doing? You never mentioned this!" he whispered through gritted teeth, feeling his irritation with her rising again.

"Shush it flyboy" she snapped as she pulled out her pazaak deck and looked for a seat, completely ignoring his annoyance.

They sat down at a table and spread their cards out. There were 2 other pazaak decks and more than enough for a large group to play.

"So what does the winner get in Nar Shadda rules?" asked Yun after they were all seated and ready.

"Well, nothing other than the satisfaction of seeing the loser naked, but we can make things more interesting if we want" answered Kalima.

"I say the winner gets to dance nude with anyone they want" one man babbled. Kalima knew the effects of the truth serum were kicking in and that he was only obliviously voicing his desires.

The group burst out laughing at his idea. Kalima picked up her second bottle that contained the sedative and proposed "_Or_, the winner could also take a swig of the best ale in town"

"Yea!" the Sith shouted together.

* * *

Kalima was purposely losing her games so that her opponents would drink the drugged beverage. Carth however, had accidentally won a game and was forced to gulp down a few sips. Kalima hoped she wouldn't have to carry him home afterwards.

She was now in nothing but her pants, boots and bra, but looked utterly unfazed; she was too busy digging information out from the unsuspecting Sith, who were willingly answering all her questions.

"Anyways, the governor keeps those launch codes locked up in his office. We don't even have access to them. And this stupid quarantine won't be lifted until that Jedi is found, or so I heard" Yun said with a hiccup. "We're not involved in the search anyway."

"I see…" Kalima slowly nodded "that's very unfortunate, must make your job more tedious than it already is."

One of the women huffed angrily "Tell us about it! The only good thing about this is that I don't have to visit my boring grandmother on boring Katarr this weekend."

Kalima laughed heartily with the rest of the group. For the first time in her life she was genuinely having a good time with Sith. Apparently they didn't all concede to Sith morals, some of them only joined to make a living. She looked at her cards as the laughter died and proclaimed "I lost again."

"You're the worse pazaak player ever!" a man cracked up.

"Take it off!" two other Sith yelled sluggishly.

"Alright alright! I'm no quitter!" she laughed back as she took her boots off. All the men groaned in unison when they realized she was still wearing them. She giggled even more. Satisfied with the amount of information she had collected from them, she decided it was time to wrap things up. "I think it's time for the winners to pick their dance. You all look like you'll pass out any minute now so take the advantage while you still can."

Carth lazily stood up before any other male had the chance; "I think since I won the first game I have the right to pick first" he beamed as he approached Kalima. She could tell he was not only drunk, but drunk _and_ drowsy. Plus he was only in his pants and socks and she couldn't keep her eyes away from his sculpted chest.

Yun's intoxicated friend exclaimed "But _I_ won the most games so I think I deserve to go first!" He stood up so fast it made his head spin and he collapsed right back in his seat, sending everyone one back into hysterical laughter. Carth extended his hand to Kalima. "My invitation still stands" he flashed her a sexy grin.

She leaned back and dramatically placed her hand on her chest "Oh my! Carth, with a smile like that how could I refuse?" she jested as she stood up. Yun, the only winner left, picked 2 women to dance with him and the leftover couple decided to stay at the table. Carth pulled Kalima close to him as they walked to the middle of the room. She lost her balance and landed square on Carth's chest. Her hands felt the hardness of his pecs and rubbed against his stiff nipples. He let out a stifled moan, then without thinking, he helped her back up, grabbed her by her rear with both hands, and planted a hungry kiss on her open drunken lips. Kalima could hear the Sith soldiers whistling and making cheering sounds at them. She pulled her head back and giggled in shock.

"What are you doing?" she tried hard to keep her hooded eyes focused on him.

Carth lifted a hand to her face "You said I'm your boyfriend for tonight, so I'm acting like it." He pulled her face in and kissed her again. _Yep, he's definitely drunk_, she thought. _Who cares? So am I_.

She kissed him back deeply, feeling his hot breath in her mouth. Their bodies were so close she could feel the slight bulge in his pants against her crotch. She lifted her hand to his head and clutched his hair, pulling him closer, pressing her soft breasts against his hard chest. She was so turned on and tipsy she wouldn't have cared if he took her in front of those people right then and there. Carth was losing his balance as well; he wobbled against her until her back slammed against a wall, and he steadied himself by placing one hand against it. They kept kissing, losing themselves in each other and tuning out everything around them. He was grabbing her hips hard and grinding his pelvis against hers in erotic movements. She loved every moment of it. The last time she had been with a man was well over a year ago, and in that instant, she didn't care if Carth would be her next one.

When Kalima finally broke away to catch her breath and look around her, she noticed all the soldiers had passed out; the sedatives had achieved their goal. She turned her head back to Carth and lifted his droopy head.

"Carth? Carth! How much did you drink from the second bottle?" she asked as she firmly held his face by the jaw.

Carth eyes were rolling in the back of his head. He made some incoherent noises and dropped to his knees, pulling her down along with him.

"Dammit Carth! Not now!" she shook him violently, but it was no use – he was already fast asleep. She let out a frustrated sigh and struggled to get back on her unsteady legs. She cursed once more as she collected two Sith uniforms from the ground, the spoils of her pazaak game, then hurriedly stuffed them in her backpack. She continued to the refresher to fill up a glass of water from the faucet, and then walked back to Carth to splash the cold contents in his face. He jerked up from his slumber with a bewildered look on his face. She didn't allow him to speak.

"Carth! Look, we gotta get out of here. Get dressed and let's go!"

* * *

Kalima was able to support a semi-conscious Carth back to the apartment. She was still drunk herself, but saw no other choice than to gather what was left of her strength and pull them both out of the Sith's apartment. She was the only one who didn't drink any sedatives. Good thing he didn't take in too much of them either; she wouldn't have been able to carry his dead weight.

She locked the apartment door behind her and helped Carth to his bed. He slumped on it so clumsily that he accidentally dragged Kalima down with him again. Falling right on top of him, Kalima tried to brace herself on her elbows so that she wouldn't crush him, but he pulled her back to him before she could get up and kissed her again. She didn't protest; she was sort of hoping they would continue what they had started once they were alone.

She straddled him as she explored his mouth with her tongue, probing deeply and eagerly, tasting the sweet ale on him. He placed one hand on her round backside and the other in her hair, loosening the bun it was rolled in and letting her long bouncy curls fall down her back and over her face. He kept stroking her soft hair while she unbuttoned his jacket. She could feel his arousal underneath her again and started grinding her clit on his swollen member, purring softly and pleasuring herself. His grip on her buttock tightened, and she arched her back to give him more access. She lowered her lips to his now exposed neck as she tugged his jack open, breathing in his clean and manly scent while placing burning kisses on his already hot skin. She was nibbling and kissing her way up his ear when she heard him mumble a name.

"Morgana…"

She froze.

_Shit_, she cursed to herself. _This is bad. Really, really bad._ She slowly lifted herself up on her elbows to stare at him.

"Carth?"

He didn't respond. His eyes were already closed and he was now muttering unintelligible words, shifting his head from side to side as if he was having a vivid dream. She gently stroked his hair, pulling the short strands away from his face. He looked so intense and determined, even in his sleep. She kept staring at him as she pondered her next move - It wasn't every day that a woman took advantage of an unsober man instead of the other way around. The thought made her giggle, but she knew she couldn't allow herself to do it, at least not with Carth. He was a good man and there was definitely some sexual attraction between them, but she wasn't totally sure if he was her type, nor did she know if she was his. They were both drunk and still had many issues to settle among themselves; sleeping with him would only complicate things.

Mentally patting herself on the back for her moment of reason in her inebriated state, she carefully rose away from him trying her best not to wake him up, and walked to her own bed. She gazed at the ceiling as she lied down, and wondered if cold showers worked on women.


	6. Lower City Blues

**AN**: It took me so long to write this, I have no idea why! It's not even that long but a lot of thought was put into this. There's just so many interesting scenarios in Taris, I can't resist. But I also can't wait to move on to Dantooine! In this chapter I really wanted to focus on Kalima's inner self, her thoughts and views. The next chapter shouldn't take this long, promise!

**new note**: I updated this chapter a little. Added a few sentences and made some grammatical corrections.

* * *

Kalima fiddled with security lock one more time before she expertly popped the apartment door open. She smiled inside, thinking of the convenience of her scoundrel skills. _And they say we aren't worthy of the Navy. Ha!_ She and Carth have been breaking into and rummaging apartments all afternoon, starting from the fancy Upper City complexes to the shabby, grimy ones of the Lower City. They've been caught red-handed more than once by the owners, but Kalima had a way with words that always saved them from being savagely attacked or arrested. That is, until they got to the Lower City. Here there were no negotiations. She was beginning to wonder if it was worth all this trouble for some lead on Bastila and used equipment. So far she had gotten some functional blaster rifle and pistols, a nice green and gray Echani armor, and two heavy ones that she couldn't fit in nor cared about.

_Carth can have them_, she thought.

They both sneaked into the apartment and sighed with relief when they realized it was empty. Carth shut the door behind them and they both plopped on the torn couches in the middle of the room. It was the last apartment in the Lower City East complex and they needed a break before heading out west. Carth pulled out some snacks he bought from the Upper City cantina and threw her a sandwich.

"Right on time!" she said as she caught it with a hand. She was starving! Almost as soon as she unwrapped her sandwich she jumped up "OH! I should try this on!" she grabbed the Echani fiber armor out of her bag and headed to the refresher.

"Suit yourself gorgeous" he said starting on his own sandwich.

She rolled her eyes in amusement. Even though he still had an eye on her, he was getting more and more comfortable with innocently flirting with her. Not that she minded, she'd rather him be easy-going than constantly paranoid and uptight with her. But there was just one problem – he had no recollection of what happened the night before, at least not of anything after he had won his first game. And she didn't plan on telling him either, not yet. She wasn't sure why she was refraining from telling him the truth; she's normally very direct and blunt with people, but for some reason this made her feel very awkward. Besides, it wasn't like her to offer herself so easily to a man. She usually made them work for it. It was the alcohol and nothing more.

_This looks really good_, she analyzed herself in the bathroom mirror. She was already tall and slender, which made it hard for her to find a suit that wasn't too big or too short for her. The fabric was snug on her long limbs and the muddy green color looked fantastic against her dark golden brown complexion. She stared at her eyes – they always seemed to change colors. They were dark deep amber pools, sprinkled with gold flecks and surrounded by thick black rings. Sometimes they looked pitch black when they widened. And for some reason, she sometimes has weird flashbacks of them looking completely yellow.

Actually, she's been having a lot of flashbacks recently, in form of dreams, visions, snippets, sometimes just voices. The doctors in Coruscant said her lost memories would come back to her in time, but these memories didn't feel like hers. Yet…they were so vivid she could literally _feel_ them rekindle in her body. It was like her flesh, not her mind, remembered them. The other day when she traced the lengthy scar that ran diagonally down her ribs, she got a throbbing headache and was blasted with images of a T-shaped visor mask and swinging axes. But in all her adventures, she couldn't recall anything that could remotely relate to that vision. She thought of her conversation with Zelka the day before:

"_You're all set child. The lump is gone, your test results came in, and your brain is functioning just fine. Seems to have a little more activity than normal but nothing harmful" he said as he helped her up from the table._

"_But what about those memories doctor? I told you about the mirror incident, how do you explain that?" she looked at him with desperate eyes. She needed to know something. Anything!_

"_Like I said, you're a little hyperactive. Your brain could just be trying to process too many things at the same time."_

"_But that doesn't explain why my 'memories' don't seem familiar to me. Isn't the whole point of memories to remember your experiences? Doctor, am I losing my mind? I don't want to go crazy. Please… don't hide anything from me. I don't know what's going on!" She was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, she's been quiet and strong for too long. _

_Zelka was silent for an extended period. Kalima took it as a sign of concealment._

"_There's something you aren't telling me doctor" she kept her observant eyes on him as he turned her back to her._

"_It's not my position to tell you. Whoever did this to you had their reasons, and I can't interfere without knowing them. I might end up causing more harm than good" he said with a grave tone._

"_Who did what to me? What are you talking about Zelka?" she demanded impatiently. _

_He turned his head without looking at her, "Your mind has been tampered with child. By who, why or exactly how, I don't know. There are different methods used in modern medicine, or even in the Force I heard, but it could've also been an accident. Or a natural but inexplicable defense mechanism formed as a result of your trauma. I'm not an expert in this field. All I can tell you is that you won't get the answers you seek from me, or any other doctor but the one who treated you."_

_She let out an exasperated moan and dropped herself back on the table. "I don't know how to deal with this" she said abstractedly as she stared at the ceiling, a tear slowly streaming from the corner of her eye to her ear._

_Zelka turned around to face her again. His voice full of sympathy, he added "I wish I could tell you. Maybe in time, you'll adapt to it and it'll all make sense. The best thing you can do about your memory loss is treat your safety seriously. Anyone you meet could be a possible old acquaintance."_

His last words were what bothered her the most. The fact that she could run into an old enemy or associate unknowingly was frightening to her; as a smuggler, she didn't exactly rub everyone the right way. She had to be more alert and vigilant than she already was. And as for that 'mind tampering", she'll just have to deal with those doctors whenever she gets back to Coruscant, if she could even find them.

She emerged from her deep thought and walked back to the couch where Carth was finishing his meal and opening a beverage.

"I should be able to finish off the last two duels with this. What do you think?" she asked as she spun around to show him her new armor.

Carth tilted his head and smirked, "I like the view from the back."

She smacked his shoulder hard but playfully "I'm being serious silly."

He almost him spit out his drink stifling his laugh "Alright alright! What do you want me to say? You look fantastic as always Kalima."

She leaned on one side and gave him a curious look. "You really mean that don't you?"

"I always call you gorgeous don't I? And despite what you think, I'm not always trying to flatter you." He said matter-of-factly, as if it were the most casual subject in the galaxy.

Her thoughts were beginning to drift to the party again…His passionate wet kisses, his domineering but gentle touch, his hardness; she wanted it all over again. Not because she had feelings for him, but because those were all the things that turned her on. She cursed herself internally for thinking of him that way and shook her thoughts off as she settled back on the couch to eat her sandwich. She must have made a face because Carth took notice and asked:

"Something wrong? I didn't scare you did I?"

She shook her head a little too fast "No not at all, I was just remembering…It's nothing."

He stared at her intently, and for the first time since she's known him, she felt uncomfortable. "Why do I have a feeling you didn't tell me everything about last night?" he asked after a long pause.

"Think what you want Carth, but I already told you everything" she bluffed as she bit off a piece of bread. She knew she didn't look very convincing.

"Don't think I don't remember..." he pretended, trying to see if he could scare her into admission.

Her eyes flashed wide open "What? Remember what?" she stammered.

"Nothing, I just said that to see if you were lying. And you are!" he leaned back and folded his arms, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Ugh! You're such a pain. Look, even if I _did_ have something to hide, I don't owe you any explanations. Not when you can't even tell me why you have a problem with me in the first place" she snapped.

His mouth opened in amazement, "I can't believe this! I have the right to at least know what _I_ did yesterday! That's all I'm asking you! I…" he let out a distressed groan and leaned over to rest his elbows on his knees. "I didn't do anything stupid did I? I mean…I don't hold my liquor too well. I just want to know. Besides why does it matter to you? Why do you even care whether I trust you or not?" He was almost pleading her now.

"I honestly don't. I just want to know your reasons, because I hate being misinterpreted. And c'mon Carth, I've told you everything I could about myself. If anyone is questionable between the two of us, it's you." It was her turn to fold her arms and stare at him.

He made a scoffing sound at her and shook his head. He knew he couldn't win with her. Somehow she always found a way to get a conversation exactly where she wanted it. He decided he'd just give her what she wanted and be done with it.

"You're the most persistent woman I've ever met you know that?"

She shrugged one shoulder and cocked her head to the side. "I try."

Heaving a compliant sigh, he ran his hand through his fingers and started talking. He told her of the war, of Revan, Malak, the Jedi and soldiers that followed them, the bombardment of Telos, and then finally, of Saul Karath. Their betrayal stung, his hatred was deep, and his remorse devoured him. But it wasn't Malak or the Jedi that he wanted revenge from the most - It was Karath. She got a deeper understanding of him and the way he acted, he lost so much; his mentor, his family, friends, the peace that he fought for in the Mandalorian wars – all gone. For some reason, she wanted his betrayers dead just as much as he did, and she let him know that she'd help as as much as she could if they ever had the opportunity to face them. She then told him of Trask, their short-lived friendship, how he sacrificed himself for her and how she wanted to find the dark Jedi who killed him.

"If I ever see that bald son of a cantina rat bastard again, I'm gutting him like a barve" she finished with a cold, steely voice.

Carth was staring at her apprehensively. He knew the desire for revenge all too well, but something about her tone made him uneasy. There was no rage, no emotion radiating from her. She was just blank, detached, and staring at the floor with empty stony eyes. For the first time, he noticed some barely visible dark veins snaking on her neck and temples. _Were those always there? Must be her dark skin that masks it well…_ He cleared his throat.

"It's a little different Kalima. Trask gave his life for you because he knew you already did the same before. Would you rather he did not?" he asked.

"You don't get it!" she finally flared. "He has a wife and a daughter! He only did it because I told him my story, he felt like he had to repay me. _ME _of all people! If I had known he was going to kill himself for me, I would have never told him anything. What I did wasn't _heroic_! I just felt inferior to the rest of the crew and didn't want to waste their lives. They were people with families and friends and lives ahead of them, soldiers with rank, Jedi with honor. I was just a ruined smuggler with no one to turn to, nothing to live for, and who only joined the military because I didn't want to spend years of my life in a depressing cell! I should have died in that explosion Carth. In many ways…I feel like I already have..." her voice broke off. She looked like she was about to crack open, but she held herself together and tightened her lips. She was staring at the floor again, this time, with a poignant melancholy in her eyes. Her forgotten unwrapped sandwich was lying on the dirty couch, obviously no longer safe to eat now.

Carth didn't know the meaning behind her last sentence, but it was unsettling for him to see her in this state. She wasn't the mushy rtpe, and there were times when he even forgot she had feelings with that tough and sassy exterior of hers. But here she was, demonstrating an emotional turmoil that he only witnessed in highly empathetic people. He decided right then and there that he'd be there for her for as long as they stayed together. She deserved nothing less.

* * *

"Well, that was a very informative Twi'lek" Kalima said as she and Carth walked away from the young blue female and her Wookie friend, and headed in the direction they were given. She was back to her normal upbeat attitude as if nothing had happened. Her earlier mood however, was so disturbing to Carth that he had forgotten all about the Sith party issue.

"Sure is, we could use someone like her on our team" he replied.

"True, but I doubt she'd follow us around. One thing about us scoundrels, we're very independent people" she scanned the cantina for a man who could fit the description of Holdan.

"I can tell. You also seem to _know_ a lot of people"

"What do you mean?" she asked without looking at him.

"Davik? How do you know him?"

"I was a smuggler Carth, I wouldn't be worth 2 credits if I didn't at least know the names of planetary Exchange bosses" she shrugged.

"So you worked for the Exchange before?" he asked tentatively.

"No. I was an independent. I've carried out a few missions for them before though." Her eyes kept wandering across the different rooms. She grimaced when she caught a glimpse of the 3 dead bodies that Calo Nord had dropped when she first entered the cantina. _Why hasn't someone done something about those bodies yet?_

"I think I found him. Watch my back and let me do the talking" she told him when she spotted Holdan in the dance room watching the Twi'lek females.

"You always do smartmouth" he followed her but kept his distance within three paces from her. Kalima stepped up to Holdan and introduced herself. He must have started making advances at her because she quickly raised her hand to cut him off and began interrogating him. Carth could tell by his stiffening stance and increasing frown that he was getting defensive.

"You are a pig for that Holdan! And you call yourself a man?" Kalima raised her voice as she folded her arms.

"I told you she _attacked_ me!" he protested.

"Because _you_ groped her!"

"Look, I understand you're angry and will side with Dia because she is a woman, but I'm not changing my mind-"

What happened next shocked all 3 of them. Kalima absentmindedly…or instinctively waved her hand in effort to intimidate him, and boldly stated "You _will_ drop that bounty on Dia!"

Holdan wavered and blinked for a few seconds, looking confused and hesitant. "I…I will drop the bounty on Dia" he stammered when he finally found his voice.

Kalima's eyes widened as she heard his unexpected answer. _Wow, that was a little too easy_.

Carth, who was standing behind her and listening to the whole ordeal, felt his jaw drop. Did he just witness a Jedi mind trick? He's seen them numerous times during the Mandalorian wars and could unmistakably recognize one. But how could she…? She wasn't a Jedi, she was barely even a soldier! Or was she? Maybe that's what she wanted him to believe…

She was now nodding at Holdan and walking back to him with her eyebrows raised, apparently also confused.

"What the hell just happened there?" He demanded, trying hard to restrain himself from lashing out on her. If she had been lying to him all this time, he'd never forgive her.

"I asked him to drop the bounty on Dia's head, and he did" she explained plainly.

"Don't give me that Kalima, I _know_ that trick!" he said with a dangerous tone.

"And exactly _what_ trick are you talking about?" she challenged him while placing both hands on her hips.

"Mind persuasion. Does it ring any bells?" he asked sarcastically.

She scoffed back "Well I'm glad you're acknowledging my persuasion skills Carth, but I'll hardly call that a 'trick'. I asked him to drop the bounty and he _literally_ repeated my words and agreed with me. It was so weird! All that Tarisian ale must be getting to some of these men's heads or something."

Carth kept a suspicious eye on her. She seemed genuinely oblivious to what had happened, but he also knew she was an excellent actress and professional liar. "You know what I mean Kalima. I'm not talking about social persuasion skills. You're trying to tell me that you didn't use any Jedi powers on that man's mind?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kalima just stood back and stared at him, almost mockingly, then burst out laughing at his accusation "Carth, if I had Jedi powers don't you think I would have used them by now to find Bastila and get the hell out of this backwater planet? Don't be ridiculous! Now let's keep moving, I have to talk to a disgusting slobbering Hutt about bounties" she casually said as she brushed past him.

He grabbed her by the elbow with brute force and practically yelled in her face "DON'T play with me Kalima! I was just starting to gain some trust in you, don't ruin it for the both of us! I don't know what you're hiding from me, but if I find out you've been lying to me-"

That was it.

She shoved him off of her and yelled back "You will WHAT Carth? What will you do to me? And who the hell do you think you are putting your hands on me like that? You know what, I've had more than enough of your stupid paranoia. I _told_ you that I barely know any Jedi! Yet you keep insisting that I'm somehow involved with them or the Sith. What the hell is wrong with you? I don't have time for your childish antics, and I definitely don't need someone who can't even give me an ounce of trust around. If you feel that way about me, then LEAVE!"

And with that, she stormed to the bounty office, leaving a furious Carth behind.

* * *

The streets of the Lower City reeked of stale blood and rotting flesh. Kalima couldn't get used to it no matter how many bodies she walked by. _And I thought Nar Shadaa was bad_. They were heading to the Undercity with the papers Gadon had given them and she was really hoping he hadn't conned her. Carth had decided to stay after all. His excuse was that he had no choice and wanted to find Bastila together, but they were still mad at each other and hardly talking.

A group of men came into view as they were approaching the west apartments. What seemed like a bill collector was trying to intimidate two Vulkars into paying a debt. When they defied him, a sharp whistle was heard from him and another figure emerged from the shadows of the enclosed street. Kalima unconsciously slowed down her pace; she was mesmerized by the massive frame she saw in front of her. The man was the epitome of physical perfection; he was the ideal height, had incredible sculpted muscles that were just the right size, not scrawny or too bulky, and he wasn't lacking in the facial department either. His sharp angular features were striking, his eyes were intense, and his scars…goodness, she loved scars; they showed character. But what really stood out the most to her was his swagger - his casual demeanor, and subtle arrogance in his walk. There was nothing sexier to her than confidence in a man, and he moved like he owned the galaxy. She could imagine him handling her, manipulating her body, bending her over, utterly dominating her…

_So we're lusting after strangers now Kalima? Pull yourself together!_

But before she could even focus again, she was hit with a series of disturbing images – a strange man, bald and huge, and…naked. He was on top of her, screwing her brains out, maniacally grinning at her. The flashback ended almost as abruptly as it started. She faltered on her feet, and she could feel Carth's eyes shooting her quizzical look. As confused as she was, she decided to brush the vision to the side for now; she was much more interested in what was going on before her.

One of the Vulkars had called the man Canderous and a Mandalorian, and they were both visibly shaken by his presence. In very little time, they were giving the bill collector all their credits and running away, the collector soon followed and Canderous was left standing alone in the dark alley. Kalima felt this was a good opportunity to make an acquaintance. She thought of something to say, but couldn't come up with anything witty.

_There's no reason for you to feel nervous about a total stranger. What's wrong with you? It's not like he's the most attractive man you've seen in your life. Think! _

But he _was_ attractive, the most she has seen in a very long time. He made her want to forget her morals for just one night with him. Something about him oozed danger and adventure, and she wanted in. And since Carth was being such a jerk with her, she also wanted to disregard and intentionally offend him; he hated Mandalorians with a passion. She squared her shoulders, shot her chin up, and slowly walked up to Canderous. She was still thinking of something to say, but by the time she reached his personal space she decided to just settle with –

"Who are you?"

He swiftly answered "I'm someone you don't want to get on the bad side of, and I'm not one for small talk. I don't have time to stick around anyway, Davik's got me working on a special assignment."

Even with a straight face, he looked slightly reluctant to leave. The good-looking woman in front of him was obviously interested, and he would have willingly taken care of her needs and forgotten about her the next day, but he was a man of action with his priorities straight. He turned around without giving her a look and strolled to the west apartments. Kalima stood there and stared at his back until he was out of sight.

_Playing hard to get huh. I like that…_

She was irritated with herself for being so intimidated by the man. It wasn't like her to lose her sharp tongue to anyone, and she has easily flirted with way more handsome men before. But Canderous…he was something else. She decided to follow him; maybe she could get an idea of where he frequented, she undeniably wanted to see him again, possibly after they find Bastila. Carth, who was still standing in the same spot she left him, hollered at her:

"Where do you think you're going?"

She shrugged him off and said "Do what you like, but we could use some more equipment before going on this suicidal mission" and she kept walking.

Gritting his teeth, he unwillingly followed her to the apartments. He was getting sick and tired of her distractions, but she had a point. She always did. He saw her pause at the entrance to look in both directions, and then chose to take a right.

Kalima was already unlocking another door when he came around. She was greeted by a menacing resident who already had her blaster pointing at her invaders.

"Uhh… wrong room" Kalima pretended as she began turning on her heel.

"Stop right there!" the woman ordered "You don't break into the most dangerous assassin's home and expect to just weasel out of it like that."

Kalima slowly pivoted back to face her, a new look of interest in her face.

"You must be Selven?" she asked cocking an eyebrow up.

The woman made a mocking sound "I'm glad my name still rings bells. Now tell me what you want or I'll give you a blaster shot tight between the eyes."

Kalima gave her a slow, evil smile, and raised her sniper to her eyes "I'm her to collect the bounty on your head, Selven."

"You're a fool if you think you can collect the price on my head" Selven said coolly.

Kalima kept the sniper to her face. "Sorry missy, but it looks like you're outnumbered."


	7. Escapades

This is my longest chapter to date. I was soooooo tempted to chop it into 2 chapters but I promised I wouldn't make Taris more than 3. So yes, Taris is finally OVER! This is mostly a Canderous and Kalima piece, so if you don't like them as a couple well...you can skip it I guess, your loss ;) *steamy scene ahead* Please review

* * *

_You cannot win Revan!_

Kalima eyes shot open as she woke up from another strange dream. _Bastila_? She was bruised, battered and still exhausted even after her copious sleep, and barely moved from the bed because she knew every inch of her body would feel sore.

_Oh…the pain._

She closed her eyes again, but could still hear voices and noises all around the apartment. Bastila and Carth were bickering about something, Zalbaar seemed to be making a meal in the small makeshift kitchen, and Mission sounded like she was trying to calm the two adults down…or maybe she was instigating. Kalima couldn't tell.

The events that took place in the last few days were streaming through her head. When she killed Selven, she decided to duel the last 2 competitors and even challenge Bendak Starkiller against the strong wishes of Carth, which she later realized was a huge mistake. Her overconfidence had earned her some ugly deep wounds, but what did she expect? It was a death match. After spending an entire day of healing and of hearing Carth's endless reproaches at Zelka's clinic, they embarked to the Undercity where they found Mission, her Wookie, a sample of rakghoul serum (which saved their lives a couple of times), and infiltrated the Vulkar base. She sustained more injuries when she crashed the swoop bike in her practice run; not because she couldn't excellently race, but because she wasn't used to faulty accelerators. She eventually won the best time and rescued Bastila, but again, not without a fight. The last thing she could remember was having a vision of Bastila fighting dark Jedi, and passing out from exhaustion and pain immediately after their battle with Brejik and his men.

And here she was, recovering again and feeling like they were back to square one; they still needed to find a way out of Taris. Lifting herself slowly from the bed, she caught the attention of Bastila who instantly ended her argument with Carth and came to her.

"You're up! How are you feeling? Zelka said you needed a little more rest" she said as she knelt by Kalima.

"I'm fine, and how would I not wake up when you two are busy yapping at each other?" she grunted as she achingly sat up. Her day was already starting miserably.

"Sorry, we are just trying to figure out our next move" Bastila explained with a worried face.

"You mean you were busy complaining about us not finding a route off this planet fast enough" Carth countered her.

Kalima turned her head to Bastila "Are you _serious_? We were busy searching for you! You wouldn't even be here if I didn't come to your rescue!" _This little ungrateful brat._

"May I remind you that I'm a Jedi and am perfectly capable of handling myself. If I remember correctly, I'm the one who rescued y-"

Bastila was ready to get into another argument, but an already highly irritated Kalima cut her off "And for your information, we do have some valuable scoop. The planet's launch codes are sealed within the Sith base, but I'm not skilled enough to pass their security. We need to find a way to break in and _then_ find a ship, which is a whole other mission in itself! So can we please stop with all this unproductive quarreling? "

The Jedi closed her mouth in embarrassment and nodded. "Agreed. Carth, Zalbaar and I will move out to speak to some locals, you can stay here and get more rest. Mission will watch over you."

"I said I'm fine. We can all move out, I just need a shower" Kalima insisted.

"Very well, suit yourself. But don't say I didn't warn you" Bastila was ready to march away when Kalima called her back.

"Wait. Bastila, do you have a moment?"

The Jedi looked hesitant, but walked back to Kalima and sat next to her on the bed. "Of course, is something wrong?"

"Yes actually, I've been having this same dream…or _vision,_ a couple of times already. And…you're in it" she tilted her head to look at Bastila, ready to pick up any clues from her body language.

The young woman failed miserably at hiding the worry in her face. "A vision? What was it about?"

Kalima's curiosity heightened. It was obvious Bastila was uneasy about the direction their conversation was going. "It was about our mission on Revan's flagship. For some _strange_ reason, I keep seeing you fighting dark Jedi and confronting Revan. Actually, I'm not sure if you're facing Revan or facing me, or if I'm just dreaming from Revan's point of view. Either way nothing is clicking in my head. But you were there on that bridge, and you know…you can use the Force and all. Maybe you can shed some light on this matter?"

Bastila shifted uncomfortably on the bed and started blinking fast. "Well, you were on the ship with us, they could just be memories. I never got to thank you for what you did for us by the way. I always wanted to reach out to you after the incident."

She was trying to change the subject, but unfortunately for her Kalima was an expert conversationalist and had rehearsed this interrogation in her head for days. "Your gratitude is appreciated, but there's just one problem with what you said. I never made it to the bridge. I never even stepped foot in it. So it wouldn't make sense for those visions to be my memories. Can you please go over what happened after I lost consciousness? I haven't spoken to anyone from the strike team since." She was still acutely observing Bastila, whose discomfort was increasing by the minute.

"Um. Well, we made it to Revan, but before we could do anything, Malak had chosen that moment to turn on his master. Revan was badly hit, and we had to evacuate before Malak blew the ship to pieces. When we exited the bridge we found you lying there, and picked you up along with other injured soldiers. "

"Was Revan dead before you left?" Kalima hadn't thought of the possibility of Revan being entirely killed by the destruction of the ship. The whole time she thought Bastila had defeated him with her team of Jedi.

"I – I'm not sure, we were in a hurry to escape the attack, and we didn't have time to check." The young woman quickly replied.

"Hmmm…" Kalima looked doubtful "I thought the mission was to kidnap Revan? I find it very odd that you wouldn't check to see if he was dead or even bring him with you, but decide to pick up a couple of injured soldiers along the way."

Bastila froze; the Council hadn't prepared her for these all questions. "I-I don't know what to tell you Kalima, it was a very hectic situation and most of us weren't thinking. The important thing is that you're here now and that Revan is no longer a threat. Revan was a woman by the way." Bastila had a look in her eyes that she couldn't decipher. Was it fear?

"Oh, I had no idea." _Interesting_…Kalima paused and stroked her chin as she thought of something that had been bothering her since the Endar Spire. "What did I look like?" she finally asked.

"Excuse me?"

"After the explosion, I was severely wounded. What did I look like?" her eyes glinted in anticipation for an answer.

Bastila bit her lip, like she was thinking hard for an answer, or picking her words carefully in her head. Avoiding Kalima's stare, she answered "You were badly burned. The plasma disfigured you, but…we were able to use our healing powers to reconstruct your skin."

_So it was Jedi powers after all_, Kalima thought, touching her face and feeling its smoothness. "Thank you" she said softly, feeling a tinge of relief.

"Oh…don't thank me. It was the least we could do."

They both sat quietly for a few seconds, then Bastila added "I think I may know why you've been having those visions. Such things are often a sign of Force sensitivity. It is possible that during our near-death experience on Revan's flagship, the Force allowed you to witness one of my more intense memories."

"Force sensitivity huh?" Kalima would have bought her story, but Bastila was missing one detail. If the visions were her memories, they wouldn't be from Revan's perspective. She wanted to point out that flaw to Bastila, but decided against it; the woman obviously doesn't want to tell her what she knows, and Kalima had no other choice but to respect or at least accept her decision.

"Yes. Force sensitivity is common across the galaxy, but not all sensitives become Jedi. The Force is complicated and works in mysterious ways, even I don't fully understand it yet. This is a matter best left to the wise Masters of the Jedi Council. We'll head to Dantooine after Taris and you can get the answers you want from them."

Kalima shrugged "Fine by me. As long as someone tells me something that makes sense."

"Good. Let's get ready to head out then" Bastila said as she patted Kalima's knee and stood up. She looked eager to leave the conversation.

"One more thing Bastila" Kalima called out, making Bastila's head spin back to face her. "Why did you request a special transfer for me to the Endar Spire?" Kalima narrowed her eyes, analyzing the Jedi's reactions one more time.

Bastila sighed with a hopeless look on her face, "Haven't you asked enough questions already?"

"You mean you're not going to answer?"

She straightened her back. "To be quite frank with you, I don't have to. I'm your Commander, and my decisions shouldn't be a subject of scrutiny, especially not from a raw recruit. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make some preparations before we leave." She turned around and headed to the table where Mission was now teaching Carth pazaak and Zalbaar was eating his meal.

_Look at that…she grew a backbone_.

* * *

Her heart was beating out her chest as she approached the Upper City cantina. She knew she looked a mess, but she couldn't pass an opportunity to meet Canderous again.

He was waiting for them right by the entrance of the center room. She couldn't help but give a slow, naughty smile when she spotted him, but she quickly composed herself before he could notice what she was thinking and walked up to him, folding her arms as she came to a stop.

"I hear you have an interesting offer for me?"

Canderous was eyeing her from head to toe, as if he was looking at her for the first time. "I was going to tell you that your performance in the swoop race was impressive, but now I'm hearing that you also killed Bendak and Selven. I'm more than impressed. You seem like you know how to get results, that's just the kind of person I'm looking for."

Kalima tried not to show her contentment as she basked in his compliments. "So what do you want from me?" she asked seriously.

He told her of his plan to escape Taris, and answered most of her questions thoroughly. By judging his movements, she could tell he wasn't lying. When he was finished, she turned her back to him to face Carth and Bastila.

"How convenient is that! What do you think?"

"I don't trust him, those mercs don't have a lick of conscience and will betray you in a heartbeat" Carth answered first.

"I sense no deception from him, which is surprising. This may be exactly what we need."

"My thoughts exactly Bastila. Sorry Carth, you're outvoted." Kalima shrugged innocently.

"Women…" Carth complained as he shook his head.

Kalima ignored Carth's comment and turned back to Canderous, whose eyes were grazing her body with a silent hungry look. That gave her all the confidence she needed. "Okay Canderous, you've got a deal. How much time do we have?"

He lifted his stare back to her face "I suggest you get started right away. I have a feeling things are going to get pretty ugly real soon. The Sith have already begun a series of raids and searches in the Lower City for some Jedi. No telling what other blockades or curfews they're going to impose on us next."

Kalima touched her chin with two long fingers, "I don't think I'm in the best physical condition to carry out this mission right now."

"What's the matter? You're already dying on me woman?"

"No" she shook her head, "just some muscle pain from all the bruises and healing."

Canderous grinned at her and extended his arm towards her waist "I think I have just the thing for that."

"Don't – put your hands on her!" Carth muttered in a low threatening voice as he took a determined step forward.

"Easy there lap dog. I'm just getting your friend a drink" Canderous said coolly with a death stare.

"I'm fine Carth, I'll meet you and Bastila back at the apartment" Kalima intervened, rotating her stiff body to speak to them.

Carth grumbled and glowered at them, his annoyance more directed at Canderous. "Just be careful, I'll wait for you outside."

The Mandalorian flashed him a sly grin and placed his hand in the small of Kalima's back, motioning her towards the bar as they both walked away from her friends. He stared two men down for their seats and offered Kalima one when they scurried away. She tried not to look too pleased with his aggressiveness and chivalry, and was a little saddened when he removed his hand from her back.

"So what are you getting me? Some battle stimulant?" she asked sarcastically.

"Close. My own special concoction – It will loosen you up in no time." He gave the bartender instructions and waited for the beverage.

"What I really need is a relaxing bath and massage, or someone to jump my bones already" she said bluntly.

Canderous chuckled quietly at her candor. He liked that in a woman, saved him all the trouble of having to decode their language. "Been that long huh?" he asked as he handed her the drink.

"You have no idea" she grabbed the glass without looking at him. She congratulated herself for faking her cool indifference so well. He had no clue how excited she was inside. "By the Core! What _is_ this stuff?" Almost as soon as she swallowed her first sip, she could feel her muscles untighten from her shoulders slowly down to her feet. The soreness was gone, and she felt relaxed for the first time in days.

"Behot, only grows on Mandalore. Mix it with stims or liquor and it can have any battered warrior back on his feet. The effects are temporary, so I suggest you take advantage while it lasts."

"Thanks" she said as she lowered her glass. She cringed when a sharp pain shot up her neck when she tried to turn her head.

"Still in pain?" he asked slightly raising his furrowed brows.

"Only my neck – whiplash from the swoop accident" she said rubbing her neck.

"Move your hair" he ordered.

She was a little taken aback by his demand. His face was serious, and his piercing eyes were fixated on her when she turned to face him.

"Okay" she said hesitantly. She tilted her head and moved her long, voluminous ponytail to one shoulder, exposing her neck to him. He reached out grabbed the nape of her neck, applying pressure on specific points and kneading her muscles. Kalima closed her eyes and bowed her head; her neck was one of her most erogenous zones. "Mmmm that feels amazing" she purred. She let out a small yelp when he suddenly twisted her neck and made some bones pop, soothing the ache instantly. Then his hand stopped moving.

She opened her eyes to look at him. He was still giving her the same serious straight face, and she couldn't interpret his emotions. They kept staring at each other silently, and for a second she thought he was going to pull her by the neck and kiss her, but he ended up asking:

"Better?"

"Yea…" she answered in what was almost a whisper. She placed both palms on the counter and added "I'll be back when I get those departure codes."

* * *

"And who might this young woman be?" the old man skeptically asked directing his attention to Bastila.

"Her?" Kalima turned to face the Jedi; she had already rehearsed this scenario in her mind. "She's my newest slave" she answered as she grabbed Bastila by the waist and suggestively pulled her close to her, "a fine prize for winning a swoop race don't you think?" She bit her bottom lip as she was grinned at the young woman, who was playing along but clearly not amused at the idea of posing as a servant, nor comfortable with the invasion of her personal space.

"Absolutely" Davik chuckled mirthfully, looking both pleased and entertained at the sight of the two women fondling. Canderous smiled, and Calo Nord's expression was lost behind his goggles. "Very well," Davik continued "we can drop her off at the slave quarters while I give you a tour of my operations. I'm certain you'll be most impressed."

Davik showed Kalima his trophy rooms, the spice cargos, the armories, the security terminals, the workers' lounge, the Ebon Hawk, and finally the opulent guest rooms. When he was done, he left Canderous and Kalima alone in their room.

Canderous spoke first "Okay we're inside. I took care of acquiring the Hawk's security codes while you were away. Now all we have to do is disable the Hangar security to access the ship."

"That'll be easy. Taris doesn't have advanced security systems, with the exception of the Sith base of course. I've seen what Davik's working with at the terminals, I can slice into the computers."

"Good, I suggest we make our move a few hours before dawn. The guards are taken care of already, so if you want to relax and take that bath you said you wanted, might as well do it now."

Kalima's flirty instincts kicked in and she couldn't resist; he left the door wide open. "That's not all I said I wanted" she said, changing her tone to a more seductive cadence.

Canderous frowned as he estimated the intentions behind her words "You can get a massage from the slaves down the hall. Hell, you can even call one of them to your room. As for that other thing you wanted, well…that just depends on you now don't it?" He was standing close to her now, daring her to make a move.

"Of course…" she said looking up at him, not backing down. "I'm going to check on Bastila in the slave quarters. Poor thing was horrified when I touched her."

They both laughed remembering the Jedi's discomfort. Then he said "I think I could use some of their services too, since this is my last night in the estate. The refresher on the Ebon Hawk isn't exactly what you'd call luxurious. Your bath towels and stuff are in the footlocker near your bed." He turned around and left the room.

When Kalima entered the slave quarters, she noticed Canderous already settled in one of the bathtubs and a Twi'lek female sitting above his head feeding him fruit. _Is he naked?_ Her stomach churned at the thought.

"Where is my slave?" she asked the other Twi-leks.

"She was sent to change into her slave attire mistress. " one of the females answered.

"I see" Kalima answered with a raised brow. She started removing her armor and untying her hair. Canderous watched as her thick tight curls cascaded down her back and her clothing peeled off to show rich colored skin. She was about to step into the bath with her undergarments when one slave stopped her.

"I'm sorry mistress, but no clothes are allowed in the tubs. Master Davik insists on keeping belongings out of the baths. I'm sorry." The slave looked pathetically apologetic, so Kalima relieved him:

"It's fine, no need to be sorry about it." She snapped her head back at Canderous who raised his hands in a shrug. "Don't look!" she commanded.

"As you wish" he said, turning his head around to eat more fruit.

She delicately removed her remaining garments and tiptoed in the empty tub next to Canderous. As she lowered herself in the warm bubbly water, she heard him comment:

"That's quite a scar you got there."

"I thought I told you not to look!" she barked at him, submerging the rest of her body till the water reached her neck.

"I wasn't. I only noticed it when you were sitting down" he retorted.

"I'm not even going to ask how that makes any sense."

"Can I see it?"

"You have to be kidding me…" he was more audacious than she thought.

"No" he answered simply with a straight face.

She sighed and shook her head, then placed one arm strategically over her breasts, raised herself till the water stopped right at her hips, and used her other hand to lift her heavy damp hair from her body, displaying her bare right side to Canderous. He took a second to marvel at the exotic nude beauty in front of him, and then focused his attention on the scar on her ribs. It ran from the middle of her back to her stomach, stopping only a few centimeters by her navel. He shooed the female slave away and reached out a hand to trace it with a rough finger. Her body stiffened at his touch and her eyes flashed at him in alarm. _What is he doing?_

"You're lucky" he finally said after inspecting the scar. "If it were any deeper it would have sliced your liver and took off a few ribs. How did you get it?"

"Uh…I don't know" she honestly answered.

He looked at her incredulously with a puzzled face "You don't _know_? How is that even possible?"

"I just don't remember. All I get from my memories are strange flashbacks of an axe and a mask. Sorry to disappoint." She lowered herself back into the bathrub and grabbed a bottle of shampoo to wash her hair.

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Describe this axe and mask for me."

"Well…" she started as she lathered her hair, her breasts merely peaking through the water's surface, "the axe is rounded, almost like a fan. And the mask is a type of metal with a T-shape in the middle of it. Come to think of it, it looks like a Mandalorian helmet."

Canderous froze. The only person he knew that owned a Mandalorian mask and a mythosaur axe was Mandalore himself. Then he remembered something else – her scar, it was in the exact spot Mandalore struck Revan during their battle at Malachor. The only wound he inflicted on her. _Could it be?_

"You…fought in the Mandalorian wars?" he asked apprehensively.

"Nah" she said nonchalantly as she scrubbed and doused her hair, "I was too busy dealing arms and drugs in Corellia. I only joined the military about 9 months ago."

Canderous analyzed her as she pleasantly bathed herself. She looked very care-free about the matter, and certainly didn't behave like a soldier or a Jedi. Maybe it was all a coincidence, the galaxy is a big place after all and she could've been attacked by any random person with an axe wearing a mask. _But then again, she didn't remember…_Even with Revan allegedly dead, it was too much of a coincidence. He'd have to keep an eye on her, maybe even follow her around to see how events will unfold. Besides, she was definitely worth the chase…

Kalima took notice of his silence and turned her head to look at him. He was studying her with deep pensive eyes. "Why do you keep staring at me like that?" she asked.

"I like what I see," he answered in his husky voice.

Her mouth twitched into a coy smile. It was the first time he verbally expressed his interest in her. She suddenly felt very conscious of the fact that they were both naked and in close proximity of each other. Grabbing two long chunks of hair, she pulled them over her breasts to make sure they were covered and slowly glided to the edge of the bathtub, closer to Canderous. She carefully placed her elbows on the tub's rim and crossed her hands. "How did you get that one?" she asked gesturing at his chest.

"Which one?" he asked. She noticed he had another huge scar trailing down his shoulder.

"This one" she leaned over the rim and grazed the one that ran directly across his chest. Canderous could see one firm brown nipple poking through her wet hair, and he instantly hardened at her touch. He glanced at her to see her facial expression – she knew what she was doing. He didn't mind, as long as she wasn't planning on stringing him along.

"That's from my first combat, when I dropped from orbit riding a Basilisk war droid" he said with a wave of nostalgia spreading over his face.

Kalima's jaw dropped "You HAVE to tell me that story!" she said excitedly.

Canderous puffed his chest with pride and began narrating. He was just telling her of the day he got recruited when his eyes darted to the door and he let out a loud approving whistle. Kalima spun around to see what had caught his attention.

"Oh. My. Stars" she exclaimed with her mouth open, using every bit of discipline she had to not laugh.

Bastila had entered the slave quarters wearing a red skimpy leotard that was even more revealing than the ones the Twi'lek females had on. Her face was so red it almost matched her costume, and she was using her arms to hide her body parts.

"Don't you dare mock me more than you already have! This is was all your idea" Bastila managed to scowl through her embarrassment.

"Now I'd love to get a massage from this one" Canderous joked.

Bastila shot him a murderous glare. Kalima couldn't hold in her laughter any longer and burst into a fit of giggles. "Cut it out Canderous, Davik isn't around. Bastila! Come join us, he was just telling me a war story."

"I think I'll pass" Bastila frowned as she folded her arms tightly.

"I have to tell you something important anyway" Kalima pressed.

Bastila conceded and knelt down by Kalima's bathtub while the latter whispered their escape plan for the night. She told Bastila to sneak out the quarters and join them before dawn, fully dressed, to help them clear the path to the Hawk. When they finished plotting, Canderous entertained the women with his story then announced he was done for the night.

Bastila gasped and covered her eyes when he shamelessly rose from the bathtub, stark naked, and walked to tables to grab a towel. Kalima on the other hand, couldn't look away no matter how much she told herself to. His muscles rippled on his broad, scarred back as he moved on his strong toned legs, and she couldn't help noticing his – _nice ass_…

He smirked at her over his shoulder as he wrapped a towel around his waist, then he picked up his clothes, and walked away to their room in his usual arrogant stroll.

_Damn…_

* * *

When Kalima went back to her room, she found Canderous lying on his bed shirtless, with his hands crossed behind his head. He was still awake, even though it had been an hour since he left the slave quarters.

"Can't sleep?" she asked as she dropped her belongings on the table.

"No. Got your massage?" he asked in return.

"Oh yes, _massages_ to be exact. I gotta give it to Davik, he sure spoils his guests."

Canderous looked on as she removed the towel on her head and tossed her hair dry. It looked a lot tamer now that it was damp. She was wearing a silk robe that she stole from the quarters, and he wondered what she had underneath.

"How much time do we have left?" she asked.

"A little over 2 hours" he replied without looking at his chrono.

"Seems pointless to go to sleep now doesn't it? We don't want to miss our cue."

He lifted himself up and sat on the edge of the bed, giving her those hungry eyes again.

"Come here."

She felt her gut plummet. His voice resonated around her, and suddenly the tension in the air grew so thick it was hard to breathe it in. As if enchanted by a spell, she walked to him, with no resistance. She stopped right in front of him and he held her hands to pull her closer, until his face touched her soft stomach and her clean fresh scent reached him. There was no need for words. He let out a guttural predator growl and pushed his face deeper into her as his hands slid around her legs, up her thighs, and firmly on her butt. She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and wrapped her hands around his head. Her eyes closed and her head fell back when she felt his warm breath through the fabric of her robe. She didn't want to offer herself so soon; she would've made him wait longer to touch her if he were any other male, but that was futile with Canderous. He was a simple man, straightforward and practical, and no games needed to be played with him. She could barely keep herself waiting – he drew her in like a magnet.

He started loosening the tie around her waist, opening her robe to reveal the shear camisole and shorts underneath. He wanted to fulfill the last wish she mentioned at the cantina. It had been on his mind from the moment she uttered it, and he realized he hadn't been this attracted to a woman since he left his home planet. And that was a _long_ time ago.

She pulled the straps of her camisole and robe off her shoulders, dropping them to her feet, and Canderous followed by dragging her shorts and panties down her legs. She was completely naked. He rubbed her thighs and lower back up and down with rough calculating hands, as if trying to touch her all over at once. Then, he planted firm but delicate kisses on her outer lips, and she almost lost her balance from the pleasure. She suddenly had another flashback, of that pale bald man again, kissing her between her legs and licking her inner thighs. _No! Not now… please not now!_

Canderous' kisses turned into laps, laps turned into licks, and licks turned into full-blown passion as he started eating her out like a juicy fruit; sucking, relishing, nibbling, lifting one thigh over his shoulder to invade her deeper. Gasping and moaning, she was holding herself steady on his shoulders and clutching his hair. She could feel herself throbbing in his mouth – if he didn't stop now, she would come before they even started. As if reading her mind, he pulled back and dragged her down to his lap, allowing her to straddle him. She drew in a sharp breath when she landed on his rock-hard shaft; the only thing separating them was the rough fabric of his long shorts. _My…he is huge!_ He sucked on her nipples, licked his way to her collar, nibbled up her neck, and finally found her mouth. Their kisses were tense, slow but desperate as they breathed hard into each other's mouths. He pulled away to take a look at her, to stroke and grab her hair – it did something to him, evoked some wild and basic instinct inside. He wrapped one hand in her entangled curls and yanked her head back to bite at her neck.

Her flashbacks were becoming more and more frequent, as well as vivid. Every time she looked at his face, every time he was forceful with her body, and with every ambrosial step closer to ecstasy, she could see the mysterious man touching and tainting her. _Why? Why won't this stop?_ She was in too weak of a mental state to control her thoughts, let alone her flooding memories.

"_You're mine…All mine!"_

"_Oh Alek…"_

"_Give yourself to me."_

Canderous stood up with her still straddling him, lifting her by her firm thighs and ass. He held her in the air for moment, savoring her luscious coral lips, before shifting around and throwing her into her bed. As she landed on her back, she lifted her gaze to revel in his amazing sight, but instead was met with the malicious smirk of the other man. And for the first time, she noticed the gray tattoos on his head. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt herself beginning to panic.

"Canderous?"

Mistaking her worry for need, he replied "I'm here," with a voice thick with desire as he steadily lowered himself to her. The lines between Canderous and the mystery man were blurring, and she could no longer separate reality from imaginary. He opened her legs wider and leaned over her, shifting his hips in position. She almost burst into tears, begging for her mental torment to end, but it wouldn't. Oblivious to her agony, he buried his face in her neck as he started lowering his shorts. When he lifted his head up again, he was longer Canderous, and it was no longer a memory; the sick man was now centimeters from her face, grinning and pushing himself in her.

She couldn't let this continue.

"Stop!"

He immediately halted and gave her a puzzled look "You okay there?"

She shook her head "I can't – I can't do this…" she said, panting hard as she pushed him off. She looked like she was burning with a fever; sweat beads glistened all over her skin, her eyes reddened as her pupils dilated into blackness, and her dark veins throbbed into visibility.

Canderous calmly backed away. Somewhere in the back of his head he knew this was going to happen; beautiful and intelligent women loved playing mind games, but he wasn't one to fall into their traps. "Have it your way" he said as he rose from the bed.

"No…no it's not like that – I want this! I just – I'm not ready. I can't explain it right now!" And she couldn't, her mind was in total disarray and the right words just weren't coming to her.

"I said, have it your way. Don't worry about me." He repeated sternly.

She helplessly groaned "Stop it. Canderous, please don't take it that way!"

"There's no other way to take it."

He removed his eyes from her and walked to the other bed, going back to the same position she found him in when she entered the room.

"Frack!" she muttered loud enough for him to hear her. She kicked vigorously at the air and dropped her limbs hopelessly on the bed, gazing straight at the ceiling.

_Why me?_


	8. A Long Ride

"Did you feel that Master?"

"A disturbance in the Force…"

"Something horrible has happened."

"Yes, and something else is happening."

"What do you see?"

"She's heading our way…"

* * *

Ebon Hawk: Bastila

"I can't believe how insensitive you are sometimes. And here I thought that Jedi were compassionate. What did they teach at your school, how to be an overinflated self-righteous boor?"

"Wow. That was a bit uncalled for" Carth said, surprised at the sudden outburst of the woman.

Bastila's jaw dropped. "I am NOT…insensitive! I only want us all to focus on our priorities –"

"The girl just watched her entire homeworld get wasted and the best thing you can say is 'she'll get over it'? Ugh! Why am I surprised? This is exactly why you Jedi took so long to protect the Republic in the first place." Kalima was now raising her voice and talking with her hands.

The young Jedi took a cautious step backwards. The woman's unpredictability terrified her, especially since she was the only one on the ship who knew the truth about Kalima. She could still see the lingering remnants of wickedness on her face, and for once Bastila started to think the Council might had made a very, very, grave mistake. She recited the Jedi Code:

_There is no emotion…_

"I have no desire to discuss the Council's decisions with you. It is not the time or place. You obviously need a lesson in controlling your emotions better." Bastila calmly stated.

"Why? So I can be as stale as you?" Kalima snapped.

Bastila frowned and discharged an angry snort "Why you insolent –"

"Ladies! Calm down!" Carth intervened. He put his hands around Kalima's shoulders and gently squeezed. "Bastila is right Kalima, you need to control yourself. Why are you so agitated anyway? It's not like you at all."

His warm hands calmed her, and softness appeared in her face as she dropped her shoulders. "I just _don't_ want to go to Dantooine. I need to get back to Coruscant! I know we made an agreement before but things are different now. We're being chased by Malak and staying on the Outer Rim is plain suicide!"

"Is that so? And what if we endanger Coruscant and other Core worlds by having Malak follow us there?" Bastila asked with her arms crossed.

"He wouldn't touch Coruscant, he's not stupid enough to destroy the Imperial Center of the galaxy. Not when he could use it" she answered staring blankly ahead and stroking her chin.

There was an awkward pause, and Bastila dared to break the silence first "How…do you know that?"

Kalima's eyes snapped back to hers "Isn't it obvious?"

The Jedi couldn't tell which one of the personalities was speaking. Her old schoolmate and Kalima were so similar…but the latter was more laid-back, more compliant even when she was reluctant to do the job; Bastila had been secretly keeping an eye on her on the Endar Spire. The person in front of her however, was fragrantly defying her, gradually assuming command of their mission. Every now and then the other persona would seep through, like during their break in the Sith base; Bastila watched Kalima lead their team from room to room, displaying her remarkable dueling and mechanical skills. And when it came to finishing off the Sith governor, she brutally split his skull into two with her sword…and the gruesome sight didn't bother her, neither did the blood that splattered on her face.

She had to stay calm, and wise…

"Even if that were true, we can't keep running. We need to regroup, and Dantooine is our best refuge for now. Besides, the Academy is a place of mental and spiritual healing: something we could _all_ use after what we've been through." The last comment was clearly hinting at Kalima.

"Do I look like I give a _damn_ about mental or spiritual healing? I have a physical health condition that I need to attend to! Make that detour to Coruscant NOW!"

The power exploding from her voice almost made Bastila stumble. Even Carth looked a little anxious. It wasn't easy for Bastila to keep in mind that Kalima was only a new recruit, only a slicer, and her subordinate, not when she had that face, not when she had that voice, that domineering aura, and certainly not when she confronted her. She had almost called the woman by her real name more than once but caught herself just in time. Now she had to snatch her authority back before it was too late, before Kalima took over the ship.

"I am YOUR superior and you will abide by my commands! If they pose such a problem to you, then by all means, feel free to use the exit whenever you please." _Force, that was so hard_, she thought.

Bastila's façade must've worked, because Kalima stopped in her tracks and made a grimace, then growled furiously and stomped out of the cockpit. Carth's eyes followed her until she disappeared in the main hold.

"That brain damage must really be getting to her. I've never seen her like this" Carth said.

_I have_…Bastila said to herself. She felt disgusted with the way she had just acted, but she had no choice; she could not allow herself to lose in a power struggle with the potentially most dangerous person in the galaxy. And that person was so hard to resist…She had to center herself, maybe even make some change of plans.

"Can you please give me a moment? I need to contact the Council on Dantooine" she asked with her ever-so-soft voice.

"You too?" Carth gave her a bored look. "What's with you females today?" he said as we walked out and closed the door to the cockpit.

She exhaled heavily and bowed her head. _This is not going to be easy…_

The Force in that woman was strong. So strong Bastila had been able to reach it and absorb it from her when she appeared at the swoop race. It was flowing through her like a raw, mighty current, and Bastila thirsted for it. She would never admit it, but if it wasn't for Kalima's presence near her cage, she would've never been able to draw on the Force to free herself from the neural disruptor.

The co-pilot's chair was cold. It was the first time she was able to sit since boarding the Ebon Hawk. She punched in some coordinates, and waited as she watched the blinking lights on the console. She received a prompt answer…almost too prompt. A miniature hologram appeared on the pad in front of her.

"We all felt it. A disturbance. What happened Padawan?" the Master asked her.

"Taris, it has been bombarded by the Sith. I have her here with me, we're coming to Dantooine."

* * *

Mission

There was a knock on the doorway. The Twi'lek lifted her head up and saw Kalima's rueful smile peeping through the shadows.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure…it's your room too you know?" the teenager answered.

Kalima slowly walked to Mission's bunk and sat next to her. "Yea I know…" she tilted her head to glance at the pretty tomboy and thought of something to say. Consoling and socializing with females were not her forte. "Zalbaar doesn't talk much does he?"

"Nah. He's the strong silent type" she managed a dry mirthless giggle.

"He just gave me some anger management tips."

Mission seemed interested. "Did he? It took him weeks to say anything to me when we first met. Must be that life-debt thing."

Kalima chuckled lightly "Yea well, when it was my turn to ask him questions, he immediately closed up. So the life-debt doesn't really come with communication perks."

"Hehe. Yep that's Zalbaar for you. He'll occasionally bless you with some wisdom but don't expect to him to say much about himself or his homeworld…" Her voice trailed at the last word, and she was back to her reflective state.

Kalima wanted to cheer her up, but decided it might be better if she let the young girl talk about her feelings; she was already holding up so well. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Me? Oh." Mission looked dazed "Yea I'll be fine. It's just shocking you know? I grew up there and now it's…it's just gone!"

Kalima felt a piece of her die inside. What do you say to someone who's just lost everything?

"I don't know what to say…I'd do anything to make Malak pay for this." She wanted to sound sympathetic, but she could still hear her anger vibrating in the back of her throat.

"I don't really think there's anything you can say. I just have to find a way to deal with it, I guess. It'll take some time but don't worry about me. It's funny… I always wanted to leave Taris, I never thought it would happen like this. But hey, at least I got a free ride right?"

The woman smiled. Mission reminded her so much of her younger self: so resilient, so persevering. She knew that act very well; she did it herself all the time, so it was only right for her to skip the pity party for her fellow scoundrel. Leaning closer to the girl, Kalima wrapped an arm around her shoulder and rested her head on the Twi'lek's headdress. Mission in turn laid her head on Kalima's shoulder and started swinging her legs to and fro.

"Say, I heard you talking to Zalbaar about grooming him. Are you any good with hair? You know, considering you Twi'leks don't have any and all."

The girl sounded amused. "Eh. Just the basics. A friend taught me how to comb and braid. The trimming part is pretty self-explanatory so I figured it out by myself. I always found it fun even though it's pretty useless for me."

Kalima rose her brows "Wanna do mine?"

She saw two lekkus palpitate, and recognized it as a sign of excitement. "Really? I'd love to!" Mission exclaimed as she shot her head up. Kalima pulled out a wide comb that was also a concealed knife out of her boots and handed it to Mission with a wide grin "Go for it."

Mission jumped up on her feet as she grabbed the comb. "You hair is so awesome! What do you want me to do?"

"Whatever you want, just don't cut or rip anything off or you'll be missing a lekku!" Kalima playfully threatened. "I'll sit on the floor – you can stay on the bed."

She sat between the Twi'leks knees while the girl braided her hair, and they talked and laughed all night long about any and every thing, except Taris…

* * *

Carth

He heard graceful, steady footsteps behind him entering the cockpit. They were unmistakably hers. Having no idea what mood she was in this time, he didn't turn around to face her, nor did he say a word. He waited for her to speak.

"So…is it appropriate to say 'good morning' yet?" Kalima asked in a bored voice.

"Depends. It's already afternoon on Taris but still right before dawn on Dantooine. We have 3 more days left so I wouldn't worry much about times if I were you."

"Ugh. This is why I stick to Colonies and Core worlds. Hyperspace travel is a drag out here" she said as she approached the empty co-pilot seat. Bastila was probably still asleep somewhere on the ship.

Carth finally swiveled his seat around, and paused. "Nice hair" he commented. It was sleeked back in a high ponytail with multiple long braids falling out of it. She looked somewhat regal.

"Gee, thanks Carth. For a second there I thought you were going to crack a joke" she said sarcastically.

"I wouldn't do that even if you looked like a horned cath hound" he said with a smug face.

"Oh shut up" she waved him off as she sat down and stared at the smoky blue tunnel of hyperspace travel through the large viewport. She absentmindedly took his caffa mug away from him and raised it to her lips. He was going to protest, but refrained after seeing the look on her face; she was in one of her spaced out moods again. He never knew what to expect when she got like this. It was like she had different people living inside her. How many, he didn't know, but he couldn't deny that the possibility of her completely changing on him made him downright uncomfortable.

_Well, she did warn you that she was mentally unstable._

But did she even know to what extent? When she came out of her trances she sometimes didn't seem to notice what she had done earlier.

He remembered how cold she suddenly turned when she confronted Selven, blasting her right in the face with no mercy, no second thought. Then there was Bendak…she arrogantly stepped up to him and started speaking in Mando'a out of nowhere, and Carth was certain she did it intentionally so that he wouldn't understand them. Next thing he knew, they were both heading to the dueling ring, and for some unfathomable reason she seemed completely unfazed by the notion of a death match. The way she fought only confirmed his convictions; her training wasn't as basic as she claimed. He couldn't pinpoint her technique, but it was certainly advanced. He had kept a blaster aiming at Bendak hidden, just in case she began losing. He knew it was cheating, but he couldn't just watch her die over a foolish dare. He was tempted to pull it out when he saw Bendak slash her forearm, then her thigh, but she didn't let up. Ironically, it only made her more alert, and swifter. Within minutes they were grappling and straddling each other on the ground, and when she found herself on top of him, she reached for her other blade and stabbed him right through his visor. The crowd gasped when a pool of blood appeared under Bendak's helmet, even the announcer seemed appalled before hailing her as the new champion. Her empty facial expression then was unreadable, and it disturbed him beyond words.

"You're still angry, aren't you?" he asked after considerably studying her.

She met his gaze with a big question mark on her face. "Angry? Angry at what? You?"

The answer was totally unexpected. "No…well yes that too. But I was talking about Bastila." _Her memory couldn't be that bad could it?_

"Oh! Right" she twitched the corners of her mouth and stared down, as if remembering an assignment she had completely forgotten about. She then cringed at a thought and said "I was a little out of character yesterday wasn't I?"

"Yea…" he felt a little relieved, "You kinda scared us all for a minute. What got into you?"

"Pfffft" she shook her head, "I don't know…but I do owe her an apology. Just a little one."

"And I owe you one. Look, I wanted to say sorry for the way I've been treating you. I should be more understanding with you considering your...mental situation. What happened to you wasn't your fault, and I was being a total jackass."

"Don't you treat me like a handicap Carth. I don't need this" she said slaming the caffa mug down a little too hastily. "But yes, you have been acting like a total jackass" she forced a smile.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way." He did, but he felt stupid for being so obvious about it.

She bit her lips as she stared aimlessly in her cup, then without looking up said "I don't blame you. I wasn't exactly the most cooperative partner myself. I had so many things on my mind…"

_I can tell_, he thought.

"Did I ever thank you for saving my life during the crash?"

He laughed heartily "I believe what you said was 'Thank you for being such an incompetent caretaker' and then mentioned something about how a pack of decapitated tachs could have tended your wounds better."

She winced at his words "Ouch…What I _really_ meant was, 'Thank you for being such a formidable pilot and outstanding lifesaver'" she almost sounded like she was flirting, but Carth had gotten used to her sense of humor by now.

"Ah ah! Too late, your hurtful words have already cut deep."

"Get over it big baby" she giggled jovially before finishing Carth's cup.

"Ha! More jabs at my manhood" he said as he passed her the caffa pot. He was starting to feel her warmth again and it felt good to have her back. His laughter was cut short when he remembered something he had been meaning to ask her. "So, what happened with big Mando guy at Davik's estate?"

She gulped her half-poured caffa with a small jolt then wiped her mouth. "I'm sorry but I don't think that's any of your business."

_Idiot! Why did you say that?_ She yelled in her head. _Now he's going to suspect something._

And he did.

Carth opened his mouth in surprise. He frowned, his shock slowly turning into disgust. "No…you didn't - you wouldn't! Kalima, what were you thinking?"

"Nothing happened Carth. Save your lectures for another time" she brought the mug to her face again, trying to ignore his dirty looks and hide her embarrassment.

"You know, for a manipulative woman of your caliber, you can be such a horrible liar sometimes."

"Ha! You think you got me all figured out don't you?" Carth always knew how to annoy her with his prying questions. But it wasn't him that annoyed her this time. It was herself – why was she hiding the fact that she was sexually attracted to Canderous from him? Since when did she care what he thought of her?

"You're unbelievable" he shook his head and reached for the mug in her hands to pour himself a serving.

She had to think of something quick to sway him. "Relax Carth, we just had a little argument. Nothing important you need to know about. In fact, I think I should go check on him right now." She rose from her seat, thanked him for the caffa, and walked out the same way she came in.

"Whatever you say beautiful" he murmured when her footsteps became inaudible.

* * *

Canderous

He almost didn't notice her enter the garage from the smoke of his cigarra fogging his eyes. He kept the light in the garage dim, making him nearly invisible to the crew members who unknowingly walked by the in the corridors.

She turned the on the light on the workbench and looked around in the darkness, then came to a standstill when she noticed him sitting by the swoop bike.

"I thought I smelled smoke." She was trying to sound relieved, but he knew that it wasn't the worry of the Ebon Hawk catching fire that brought her to the garage. He ignored her.

"I should've known you were the cigarra type" she continued.

He hated small talk, and he knew she did too, so he wasn't going to entertain her little dance around the bush. "I gotta say I'm a little disappointed. I thought you were a lot more straight-forward than that."

That was her cue. She shifted awkwardly on her feet then rose her chin up to him as she crossed her arms. "Are you staying?"

_That's more like it_, he thought. So she was already trying to get rid of him. She had her pazaak face on, but he could tell by the way she was tapping her fingers on her elbows that she was nervous.

He took his time, not caring if she was impatiently waiting. He cocked an eyebrow at her as he raised the cigarra to his lips for a couple more good tokes. If she thought he was going to make this easier on her, she was wrong. "Do you want me to?"

The flicker of surprise that stung her face pleased him. She blinked profusely before parting her lips, _those succulent lips_, to say "I…I don't think that should be up to me. Bastila's made it pretty clear that she's in charge here, which means I'm unfortunately at her disposal. I have no idea what's in store for me, probably a transfer to another ship after Dantooine. So again, what do _you_ plan on doing?"

_Nice try_, he thought. "That's not what I asked."

It was too dim for him to tell if she was swallowing hard, but after a brief pause she answered "Yes…"

He slowly rose up from the stool to turn his cigarra off on the ashtray on top of the swoop bike, "Then I'll stay." His tone was still cool and nonchalant, as if following a random stranger across the galaxy was common practice to him. The truth is he had already made his up mind up long before she asked. The rejection from the night before didn't bother him as much as he expected it to. He knew her type, and her desire for him was undeniable. Sooner or later he'll have her…

She nodded at his response. "I guess I owe you an explanation for the other night."

"Don't mention it" he brushed her off as he turned around and started polishing the swoop with a rag.

She took a couple of steps towards him "I don't care if you don't want to listen. You have to know…it had nothing to do with you. I'm going through some…problems at the moment."

_Ha! Heard that one too many times before_. "If you say so" he said, vigorously rubbing a spot that had darkened from some ash that had missed the tray. If there's one thing he hated more than small talk, it's cliché excuses.

He heard her sigh behind him. "I see I'm wasting my time here."

She turned and headed to the door. That's when he spun around and grabbed her arm with lightening speed. "Why?" he asked gruffly.

She frowned at him, "What do you mean why?"

"Why do you want me to stay?" He kept his tone even. He expected the question to throw her off, but something completely different happened. She just stood still in his grasp, piercing him with those exquisite eyes. Then she smiled… a slow, malicious smile. He knew that look; she had figured him out. That damn woman.

"Probably the same reason you want to…"

He slowly let her go. Something about the woman was seriously dangerous. She even looked different at that instant, but he couldn't put a finger on it. Her knowing eyes showed absolutely no fear, like those of a svengali who's held the fate of the galaxy in her claws. He was beginning to wonder what he had gotten himself into. But he was no coward.

She elegantly slid away from him while steadily holding his gaze, before turning and heading to the dorms.

_Haar'chak! Who are you? _


	9. Old Bonds

**AN**: I'm sorry for how long this took! Been busy with many things, forum roleplaying being one of them. But I'm back to writing and will try to knock out at LEAST one chapter per week. If anyone is confused, this is the same woman that appeared in the first chapter.

* * *

The bartender shot his head up when he heard two hands slam upon the counter behind him. He turned around, still cleaning the glass in his hand and found her drenched in sweat, panting heavily. She had been training again.

"Ice! Anything with ice please!" she heaved as a drop of sweat trickled down her nose. _Why doesn't Tatooine have seasons like other habitable planets? _

The bartender laughed kindheartedly and shook his head at her "You never listen to me Xia. I keep telling you to take it easy in the mornings and leave all your strenuous exercises for nightfall. But what do I know? I'm just a cantina owner who's lived on this planet for as long as you've been alive" he said as he finished polishing the glass he was holding and placed it in front of her.

"Well by nightfall, it's already time for my duels and I don't have time to practice!" she blurted out between her gasps.

The bartender poured ice cubes and water in her glass and gently pushed it towards her, leaning forward to her face "That's my whole point sweetheart. You don't _need_ to practice. You're already the champion for Edge's sake! And no one in this city is even half your match, you know that."

She drained the glass in one go and closed her eyes, cooling her body down and regulating her breath. "I know…" she murmured "Gotta stay sharp. You never know when a good fight might come by."

"I suppose so" he smiled at her. There was no point talking her into anything, she always ended up doing what she wanted. Sometimes it didn't even seem like she listened at all. "So what have you been up to lately? Haven't seen you around in 3 days" he said as he straightened back up.

"I've been making preparations to leave. There's nothing left for me to do in Anchorhead. They're closing the ring because that Hutt can't find anyone new to fight me, and the others don't even bother trying anymore" she laughed.

He joined her in laughter and poured her another glass. He was going to miss her; they had become good friends during her stay on Tatooine. "So soon Xia? You can always try swoop racing, or…" he added with a change of tone "…go back to dancing for some extra credits" he teased.

"I'll miss you too Junix" she grinned as she ignored his suggestion and sipped on her second glass.

He let out a mock disappointed sigh "It was worth the try."

"I'd rather you take me out on my last night. How about that? I have to see the family before I leave anyway."

"How could I miss the opportunity?" he replied, picking up another glass to clean it. "So, where are you going?" he asked.

"Taris! I heard they have fantastic dueling rings. A friend there contacted me and said he'll make the arrangements necessary for my transportation if I decide to come. I'm just waiting for his call now" her eyes widened in excitement as she pictured her next journey.

"Taris? Oh dear…" his cheerfulness drained from his face. "You haven't heard have you…"

"Heard what?" she asked, now alert from the seriousness in his voice.

"Taris is done...the Sith bombarded it 2 days ago. I heard they left no building standing" his voice was now heavy with sympathy. He knew how long she'd been waiting for a new gig.

"That's not funny Jun!" she snapped, even though she knew deep down it wasn't farfetched for the Sith to do such a thing.

"Everyone's talking about it! I'm surprised you haven't heard. And you know me better than to even believe I would joke about something like that Xia."

"I know…No…" she felt her heart rate speeding up, "Wh-why? Were there any evacuations? Any word of survivors?"

He shrugged and shook his head, "No one knows. There was no warning. They placed it under quarantine then destroyed it less than 2 weeks later. I haven't heard of any survivors yet…I'm sorry…" he said, placing a hand over hers.

"Those Sith bastards!" she muttered, feeling every drop of joy sapping out of her. First Telos, now Taris. What next? They were behaving worse than those brutes of Mandalorians.

Another customer approached the bar and tapped on the counter. "I'll be right back, let me take care of this fella" Junix told her, reluctantly sliding his hand off hers.

She sat still without saying a word, staring at nothing particular. She was trying hard to keep her mental walls stable, to keep them from tumbling down and releasing the deluge of memories that she kept safely locked somewhere in the back of her psyche. This always happened during an emotional turmoil, at her most vulnerable state. The nudge in her head wouldn't stop, so she alleviated the problem the only way she knew how: releasing a small amount. Carefully opening a door in her mind, she allowed a snippet of her past to leak through.

_Malak…_

Why had he done this? She could understand using Telos as a scare tactic, but what was the point with Taris? It was beyond her comprehension. He was once so reasonable, so…amiable…

"_Hey…hey you there! Wait for us!"_

_The new Padawan turned around to find two Jedi, who looked like they were in her adolescent age bracket, striding towards her. One of them was unusually tall for his age; broad shoulders, cocky smile, and grey-blue eyes that twinkled from a mile away. The second one was a female: slim, casually clothed, with an unruly mane of hair waving in the wind, and an overpowering confidence in her walk. _

"_State your name initiate!" the Jedi commanded as she stopped in front of her and placed her fists on her hips. The new student couldn't tell if the girl was joking or serious._

"_Oh shut up Rev, don't scare the new kid" the boy elbowed her as he smiled at the newcomer. "Don't mind her, she does this to everyone. She thinks it makes her look intimidating."_

"_Awww but you didn't even give it a chance to see if it would work" his companion said to him with a smug expression on her face. _

_The boy mockingly rolled his eyes at her and turned his attention back to new girl, "My name is Alek. My crazy little friend here is Revan, and we're your unofficial welcome committee."_

"_Hey" the girl named Revan waved, still wearing her smirk._

"_Umm, hey…" the foreigner finally spoke, staring at the two eccentric Jedi. "My name is Meetra. Thanks for the welcome I guess," she found herself also smiling at their amusing bizarreness. _

"_We heard a new student was coming from Coruscant – we trained there too! So we had to come see," Alek said with a satisfactory nod._

"_And now you're stuck with us…Forever! Rawwrrrr!" Revan growled as she raised her hands into claws and made a grimace, imitating a carnivorous monster._

_Meetra laughed vibrantly and felt the tension that had been knotting inside her for days ease down. When she was told she was getting transferred to Dantooine along with her master Kavar, her first worry had been about fitting in and finding new friends on such a far and underdeveloped planet. But she automatically knew right then and there that she'd get along just fine with the two Jedi. "I don't think I would mind that too much!" she said after recovering from laughter._

"_Trust me, you will. Wait till you spend two hours with this madwoman" Alek cocked his head in Revan's direction._

"_I think you're scaring her way more than I ever would Alek!" Revan slapped his shoulder and flashed an innocent pearly smile at Meetra. _

_Alek playfully shoved a laughing Revan out of the way with one hand and extended his other to the big-city girl, "Come, we'll show you around."_

_The young girl hesitated at first to hold his hand - wasn't physical contact frowned upon by the masters? But after looking at her two new friends, she realized they didn't care; they were genuinely and harmlessly having fun with each other, laughing at life and being free. It felt right to her. She shrugged and reached out to grab his hand, allowing him to lead her into their newly formed trio. _

"_Ok first thing we need to do" Revan __started _as she walked ahead of them, "is rub this in Vrook's face! He absolutely hates it when we make new friends. Something about us corrupting his students, haha! Then we'll show you the dorms, the courtyard – Oh! The pool here isn't as big and fancy as the one in Coruscant, but it's not so bad once you get used to it. After that, Alek and I were planning on stealing this Padawan's clothes while she's taking..."

"_She also talks a whole lot by the way" Alek whispered to Meetra as Revan babbled on unsuspectingly, "that is, unless she's in her serious moods. Then she completely closes up" he smiled warmly at her again, squeezing her hand tightly for a split second. She wouldn't know what that small gesture meant until much later in their lives…_

Without even checking on her bartender friend, she rose up and exited the cantina. Junix looked up from the customer he was serving just in time to see her boots disappear behind the door.

"She really needs to stop doing that" he sighed.

* * *

The statuesque man stood silently in front the enormous viewport of his ship, looking down at the annihilated planet below him. His eyes showed no remorse, no guilt. And why would they? He was only taking care of a highly irritating problem.

He heard his commander approaching him from behind. "My Lord" he said to him in a rueful voice, "it is done. Our men are now withdrawing from Taris."

The Sith lord could hear the regret and shame in his voice, but he didn't care. What mattered was that his will was done. He dismissed his commander with a wave of a hand and folded his arms across his wide chest, not taking his eyes off the planet for a single second. It was unfortunate that the young sentinel had to die. Her battle meditation could've been put to great use, but there was a greater danger that was far more important than Bastila. He didn't know how or why, but he could still…feel her. He couldn't rest until he got rid of the feeling, and he didn't care if he had to eradicate an entire planet to do it, nor did he care that he didn't have any proof. She had tied him to her years ago, and their bond still lingered…

_Trayus Academy - 3 months before the Battle of Malachor V_

"_Revan, wait. Are you sure about this?" he called out to her. She was barely paying attention to him, and was hungrily eyeing the Sith relics that she was tracing with a gloved finger. _

"_We're never going to understand its nature unless we study it Malak. Are you saying you want to listen to that primitive Council now? They wouldn't even defend their own Republic because of that ridiculously stupid code! How do we know they aren't wrong about this too?" she replied, sounding like she was begging him, but he couldn't completely tell with her wearing that mask._

"_This is different Rev, and you know it. We've heard too many stories about it, there are too many records, history lessons, evidence of the evil it causes. I'm not saying we go back and beg for their forgiveness, but we don't have to do this either." He tried to sway her, but she had always been the more persuasive one. _

_She kept walking down the library halls, her fingers never leaving the relics and walls of the academy. He kept following her, keeping a short distance between them. She stopped in front of something that had caught her interest. "I never mentioned it, but I spoke to Master Kae before we defied the Council. She told me such a place existed on Malachor, but I don't think even she imagined anything like this…" she said almost in amazement._

"_Your first master?" he asked, getting a little irritated at her ignoring his advice. _

"_She's very wise you know…studied a lot of things. I can only hope to have her understanding one day." She finally lifted her hand from the relics and slowly took her off mask. Malak was amazed at how she could look so focused and aloof at the same time. She raised her other hand and pulled out the manuscript she had stopped in front of, stared longingly at it then asked "Do you still want to do what we talked about earlier?"_

'_No…not this again' he thought. "You mean the bond? I don't know Rev, do you know what you're doing?" he asked hesitantly._

"_Malak, I've studied Force bonds for years. Do you really think I'd decide something this serious without knowing what I'm doing?" she snapped her head to glare at him._

"_You know what I meant love, this is a life-changing decision. Are you sure you want to do it with me?" he asked assertively, but felt her influence over him steadily increasing._

"_Why should you have a bond with her and not me? I've known you for years, longer than she ever did! We've been together from the beginning Alek" she used his old name, knowing exactly what nostalgic effect it had on him._

"_Revan, you know very well that my bond with Meetra is not intentional. I don't know why it happened, but it did. It's just the way she is – she has one with almost everybody! It's nothing for you to be envious of!" he was at his wits' end trying to convince her he had no romantic feelings for the general, but her jealousy made her sickly irrational_.

"_I know why it happened. You got drawn to her, just like everyone else! Either that or something happened between the two of you" she accused, taunting him with those ever fiery eyes._

"_Nothing happened between me and Meetra! Listen to yourself! You're starting to lose it Revan!" he raised his voice, fighting the urge to grab her by the arms and shake her._

"_Prove it then! If you love me, then make this bond with me. Please…" her voice softened dangerously at the last word, making him melt inside. She reached out and cupped his face, pleading him with her dark misty eyes. He could never tell her no when she was like this. If it really meant that much to her, and if it'll make her drop her suspicions of him and Meetra, then he'll do it for her._

_Surrendering with a low, exasperated sigh, he gazed into her eyes and grabbed her face with a little more force than he intended, "I've never been reserved about my feelings for you Revan, but if this is what you want…if this is what it takes, then I'll do it. But I hope you understand what this means to me." He looked at her sternly, but the relief and hint of joy that appeared on her face made him soft all over again. He didn't want to lose her; she had already become infuriatingly distant since they joined the war, and he wanted his Revan back. Little did he know that the making of this bond was the beginning of a new, dysfunctional and manipulative relationship. _

He was still staring at the demolished planet, his eyes squinting as if searching for a sign of life, of her. Could she have survived his first attack? Why did he still feel her presence? Was she really alive or was it just the side effects of their unnatural bond? He knew one thing was for certain; if she was out there, she'd come looking for him…and he was determined to beat her to it.


End file.
